As Ulwe inches closer to becoming a high-density residential and infrastructure hub — thanks to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport and mass PMAY housing allotments — basic services like drinking water remain in disarray, leaving residents angry, helpless, and at growing risk. For Sunita Bhatt, a resident of Krishna Heights in Sector 17, the latest episode was the tipping point.

“We’ve been facing frequent and poorly timed water cuts due to CIDCO’s pipeline problems — and they always seem to happen during festivals or holidays,” said Bhatt. “This time, the so-called 48-hour cut from July 9 to 12 started a day early on July 8 and continued till the 14th. And when the supply returned, it was muddy, discoloured, and barely a trickle — completely unfit for consumption.”

Sunita Bhatt, a resident of Krishna Heights in Sector 17