Beware! Wasting water may invite penalty, says BMC chief Ajoy Mehta

Mehta said citizens want to buy from hawkers but refuse to let them set up shop in their neighbourhoods

Just months after the monsoon, Mumbai is already facing a 10 per cent water cut and things are only going to get worse as the summer heat sets in. However, citizens have no one to blame but themselves. The problem, says civic chief Ajoy Mehta, is massive wastage of potable water. "If this continues, a rule to punish those misusing water can be considered," said Mehta, hinting that a water penalty may be in the pipeline.

The water crisis is not the only matter in which citizens need to step up, Ajoy Mehta told mid-day. Mumbaikars have a key role to play in yet another major challenge facing the city - freeing footpaths of hawkers. The 1984-batch IAS officer said the problem will continue to haunt the city unless the public shows acceptance for the relocation of vendors to residential neighbourhoods.

Excerpts from the interview:

Despite a good monsoon, why has a 10 per cent water cut been implemented?
The 10 per cent water cut was implemented based on scientific calculations and rainfall data from the past 100 years. The cut was necessary to ensure that water supply to city can sustain till the next monsoon season. Not all, but a lot of citizens use fresh water to wash their vehicles or even for gardening. The BMC is making efforts to increase water capacity, but citizens need to be more sensible about how they use fresh water too.

The civic chief pointed out that Mumbaikars were wasting potable water for tasks such as washing vehicles and gardening. representation Pic/Getty Images

Does the civic administration plan to bring in rules to curtail misuse of water, similar to the plastic ban and penalties?
As of now, there is no such plan or proposal. But, if wastage of fresh water continues, rules to punish erring people can be considered.

What is the roadblock for the hawker policy? Why is it stuck after so many years?
A lot of negotiation is involved in finalising the hawker policy, and verifying the authenticity of hawkers is also a challenging task. Many citizens and NGOs have given suggestions on how to tackle the hawker issue. But, at the same time, there is opposition from citizens when it comes to relocation of hawkers to their locality. Citizens buy from hawkers, but when the same vendor is relocated to their area, they start opposing it. We need larger support from Mumbaikars to provide pedestrian-friendly footpaths.

Political hoardings seem to have made a big comeback, and it looks like this trend will only worsen ahead of the elections.
There is a sizeable decrease in the number of banners put up on the streets. But, it is true that they have not been completely eliminated. BMC is not going to tolerate this nuisance. We are committed to implementing the high court's order against hoardings.

Why are more and more civic plots falling into private hands?
The civic administration has a clear policy. Any plot for reservation must be handed over to the civic body for larger public services. Yes, there are certain violations that take place, and we take serious cognisance of these cases.

Why do you think the garbage segregation and e-waste policy has failed?
We have not failed. It will merely take some time to see 100 per cent implementation of the policy. Nearly 70 per cent of the waste that reaches the dumping ground is segregated currently.

The BMC has promised to improve footpaths. Can you assure that the use of paver blocks is over?
No paver blocks will be used for roads. But, we will not uproot good paver block roads. When it is time to repair these roads, they will be concretised.

What is your take on the increased FSI in the Development Plan 2034?
The FSI has been designed with two objectives - ensuring affordable housing and business. By 2034, nearly 8 million jobs will be created in the city. These will mostly be office jobs, and not much roadside employment, whether it is in the restaurant, IT, animations, logistics or service industry. To ensure we have enough space for this, FSI was carved out for commercial spaces.

Will higher FSI help the PM and CM's dream of affordable housing for all by 2022?
PM Narendra Modi and CM Devendra Fadnavis are pushing affordable housing in a very big way and the whole concept of opening up No Development Zones (NDZ) and expediting slum development was born from this. I cannot comment on the economy. But, the change in rules will definitely make homes more easily accessible.

Why have there been so many fires in the last couple of years? What is the solution for this?
The major issue is the difference in what has been approved and the reality on ground. For instance, the Corporation could approve 200 sq ft for a restaurant, but in reality, it takes up 1,000 sq ft. The approved plan says staircase of two metres, but the hotel might use it for storage, which blocks movement. We have a formed a compliance cell to look into this.

Who is to be held responsible?
It is a two-way street. Both civic officials and owners/managers of the premises should follow the rules. The BMC will conduct checks, and the owners must take responsibility for safety of patrons.

1.2cr
Mumbai's population

80%
Rainfall in monsoon 2018

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