Water crisis: War of words breaks out between govt and tanker body

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district

Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday spoke to the Mumbai Water Tanker Association over the crisis in the city, but it didn't yield any result. They later blamed each other for the situation.

Lodha, the guardian minister of Mumbai Suburban District, held a meeting with the district collectors and BMC officials on Monday, hours after mid-day's report on the issue. He also held a telephonic conversation with the MTWA to end the crisis. However, it did not resolve the issue.

The private tanker owners stopped operations on February 9, after the state government enforced the central government's guidelines released in 2020. Several areas in the city are struggling and many have sought the government's intervention.

"The sudden strike by the association is totally unacceptable. Nobody should hold citizens hostage just to get their demands fulfilled," said Lodha while talking with mid-day.

Guardian Minister (suburban) Mangal Prabhat Lodha will hold a meeting of all stakeholders at 10 am today. File pic/Pradeep Dhivar

"If the association has any issues with the interim orders passed or [has concerns about] police action, they can come to us. The BMC and the police are just doing their job. How can they make a demand to stop action that is in accordance with the law?" asked Lodha.

He will hold another meeting with all the stakeholders around 10 am on Tuesday. "I am hopeful that we will reach some solution and the misery of thousands will end soon," he said.

Also read: IN PHOTOS: 'Water is essential to live, but BMC is depriving us of it'

‘Not a strike'

The central government enacted a law against the commercial exploitation of groundwater (well water) in September 2020. Secretary of Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) Rajesh Thakur said, "The Centre was trying to implement the law since last year, but somehow it was neutralised as the state had a Thackeray-led government."

Thakur said that the water tankers are not on strike and claimed that the police have been clamping tankers. "We have been arm-twisted by the government into shutting our services, which in turn has affected several lives in the city," he said.

‘Police action uncalled for'

"The traffic police clamped the wheel of eight tankers and registered FIRs at Azad Maidan police station on January 23. We have learnt that instructions came from top civic officials. The police took action against tankers for no reason. On February 8, the traffic police clamped the wheels of nine other tankers," Thakur added.

mid-day has learnt that three top revenue officials of the state government met the Mumbai police commissioner and the civic chief. "And after the meeting, Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar issued a circular regarding taking penal action against water tankers for theft and mischief under the IPC and certain provisions of the Maharashtra Groundwater Act 2009," said a source.

The CGWA guidelines revolve around various aspects of extracting water from underground sources and its distribution. Vice president of the MWTA Jeetu Bhai Shah said, "How can we follow such strict guidelines? We don't work to be jailed for no reason."

He added, "The problem has started. Top hotels in the city do not have water. How will international guests stay without water? The trees and plants on the dividers on roads will die, and the Pink Trumpet trees in Mulund will dry in a few days without water. The crisis is looming large and the BMC has very few tankers to fulfil the demand. We have learnt that they are using fire engines to supply water."

Thakur added, "We are meeting Lodha in the second half of the day, not at 10 am on Tuesday. Thereafter, we will meet with tanker association in Goregaon to decide whether the meeting's outcome is fruitful for us to continue our business."

Fire brigade refutes claim

Mumbai Chief Fire Officer Sanjay Manjrekar said, "We are using our water tankers only to douse fires and not for private use. I am not aware of anyone using fire engines as water tankers."