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Water cut leaves Mumbaikars high and dry

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Not water supply Mumbai AVMumbaikars had to bear the brunt of the 12 hour water cut due to the repair work undertaken by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Taps went dry in several areas of south Mumbai from 8 am to 8 pm such as Colaba, Cuffe Parade, Walkeshwar, Altamount Road, Byculla, Senapati Bapat Marg and in some areas of western suburbs too. Officegoers and school children had to face huge inconvenience due to the water cut which was announced early in the morning. Citizens said that the BMC could have carried out the repair work in phases without affecting their daily lives. Many of them had to find alternatives like hiring water tankers or purchasing water bottles from shops. According to BMC’s hydraulic department the water supply was cut on account of the repair work undertaken at the Mahim shaft tunnel arm to Tansa (west) at Mahim cabin. “The entire tunnel needs to be isolated for the works. As the work is complex, we require a complete day to execute it. This is being done to improve the water supply to the city,” said Vijay Khabale, Chief Public Relations Officer, BMC.

Naseer Ahmed, a Byculla resident said, “It was a tough day for us due to the water cut. We had to rely on water tankers to procure water. Even water tanker operators took advantage of the situation and started charging exorbitant prices from us.”

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, MLA from Malabar Hill constituency in south Mumbai agreed that water cut has certainly caused inconvenience for residents of those areas where it has been imposed. He said, “Though I am unaware about the detailed technicalities of the work but I think it is preferable to complete major tasks within a single day. Normal services will be restored after the work and people won’t face hardships thereafter.”

An official from the BMC’s hydraulic department spoke to AV on the condition of anonymity and said it is difficult to complete the repairing and replacement work in a staggered manner. He said, “I agree that Mumbaikars had to undergo inconvenience due to the water cut. It is not a work of laying pipeline and is concerned with the replacement of the valve. One valve that has gone totally out of order, supplies water to G north area from Mahim to Prabhadevi and further till Grant Road and Colaba. To replace a 1200 mm valve with a new one is a tedious job.”

“The valve has to be lifted and it cannot be done in phases. We had already informed citizens about the water cut in advance to avoid any inconvenience. Eastern suburbs have been spared of water cut and water can be supplied from those areas in case of any emergency. This work will be completed within a single day so citizens won’t face further inconvenience,” he added.

The repair work was carried out on the main water pipeline that runs underground at Mahim Cabin, near the creek where a shaft connects the main pipeline to the zonal supply network. The entire pipeline runs from Marol Maroshi to Mahalaxmi Race Course via Vakola and Ruparel College, with shafts at Maroshi, Vakola, Mahim and Ruparel.

On the other hand, BMC said that it had notified citizens about the water cut well in advance. The civic body had appealed to people to conserve water and make alternative arrangements but many of them turned a blind eye towards it.

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