BJP MLA Ashish Shelar demands white paper on Mumbai's water woes

Pic: PTI File

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashish Shelar Wednesday demanded a white paper on Mumbai's water scenario and made allegations that the cost in Metro works escalated during the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government. BJP was an ally of the then government led by the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief.

Shelar said the Mumbai civic body was ruled by a "single family" for 25 years and a whopping Rs 30,000 crore was collected in taxes, but Mumbaikars didn't get adequate water supply, newswire PTI reported.

Shelar was speaking in the legislative assembly during the ongoing budget session.

"The family (read the Thackerays) that ruled the BMC had its mayor and standing committee chief, but they failed to ensure adequate water supply to the people," he said. The Bandra (West) MLA also said the Metro works' expenditure in Mumbai escalated by Rs 10,000 crore as the erstwhile MVA government held up related projects.

Notably, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday implemented a 15 per cent cut in water supply across Mumbai and neighbouring areas till March 5 after a fire damaged a transformer in a pumping station based in Thane, affecting water supply.

Shelar said the 24-hour water supply scheme has failed and demanded an investigation. "I demand that a white paper be published on the city's water situation in a month," he added.

He said the aspirations of Mumbaikars have remained unfulfilled and claimed disparity in water supply between the island city and its suburbs. "The 24-hour water supply scheme was implemented in two civic wards for which Rs 400 crore was given to the consultant. Is there any irregularity?" he asked.

Shelar said Metro works were held up for two years when the MVA was in power. "The Shiv Sena (UBT) deprived Mumbaikars of the ease of travelling for two years. So far, 8 crore people have travelled by metro trains since they began operations. Every day, 2.35 lakh people use the metro," the BJP leader said.

He said carbon emissions and pollution might have increased due to the delay in implementing Metro projects. The Mumbai civic body had not ensured enough parking places, Shelar said and requested the state government to prepare a mega parking plan. "I am not opposed to the proposal to sell the MSRDC plot to extend the Bandra-Versova Sea Link till Palghar, but a garden should be constructed on the excess land," he added. (With inputs from PTI)