MUMBAI: Ahead of BMC elections next year, there was a hue and cry at the civic standing committee meeting on Tuesday over water shortage. Corporators said lakes were full but no one knows where the water is going.
Opposition party corporators alleged that water supply in some areas was being tampered with to ruin the image of the corporator in that ward. Congress corporator and opposition party leader Ravi Raja said in Sion Koliwada there have been water-related problems since October 16. “I was told the issue would be resolved before Diwali, but nothing happened. It seems like someone is deliberately tampering with water supply in my area,” said Raja, alleging that engineers in F North tampered with water supply.
Water shortage is a sensitive issue and local corporators are generally the first to face the brunt. With civic polls around the corner, corporators are edgy and do not want to upset supporters. BMC must ensure supply is not affected when lakes received bountiful rainfall this year.
He was supported by corporators across party lines. Education committee chairman Sandhya Doshi (Shiv Sena) said she was flooded with messages from people not receiving proper supply in Borivli. “Diwali is here. We have no answer to give people. This is putting back all work we did in the last 4.5 years as corporators as people are bound to remember problems they are facing now,” said Doshi.
NCP party leader in BMC Rakhi Jadhav said it appears purposely to tarnish the image of some corporators.
Additional municipal commissioner Sanjeev Kumar said he did not have details about the problem in Sion Koliwada but admitted the situation was good in lakes. The civic committee meeting was later adjourned.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-netas-fume-as-lakes-full-but-parts-of-city-dry/articleshow/87495678.cms
