Water woes in city slums will likely continue even as the BMC is set to roll out the ‘Water for All’ policy from May 1, as the condition of an existing drainage system will pose a hurdle, say residents. They added that the policy exists since 2016 following a high court order, but only a handful of slum dwellers have actually received the connection.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had first sanctioned the ‘water for all’ policy in 2016 following a December 2014 order of the Bombay High Court which stated that water supply is a fundamental right irrespective of whether the house was legal or illegal. However, the BMC policy put several terms for the implementation of the policy which includes the structures having an existing drainage system. After failing to secure the connection even after years, residents and activists are wary of the new policy and its implementation.