Water, not for all

For Sitaram Shelar it began with a campaign to stop privatisation of water This stirred a desire to ensure equitable distribution of water which led him to start Pani Haq Samiti in 2010 Over the last decade or so he has been at the forefront of the fight for access to safe water for everyone including those living in slums and on pavements In 2016 the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC sanctioned the Water For All policy Last Saturday Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a revised policy which will give every Mumbaikar access to potable water through formal sources Sunday midday reached out to Shelar to weigh in on the policy and judge whether it is truly inclusiveEdited excerpts from the interviewHow do you perceive the revised Water For All policyIt is a good move We estimate that about 30 to 35 lakh people will benefit from it including the 10 lakh slumdwellers and the residents of 55000 buildings While some of them were given a standpost connection on humanitarian grounds many had to resort to buying water illegally from tankersWhile it is assumed that those living in chawls use water illegally it is often that those living in residential and commercial complexes who in fact do so The BMC will also see a 10 per cent drop in nonrevenue water water lost before it reaches the customer from the earlier 30 per cent Hence revenue will increase We have also suggested a scheme encouraging those with illegal water connections to step forward and get it regularised without any penaltyThe policy also empowers the water department to make decisions independently Earlier one would need an NOC No Objection Certificate from the drainage department Since 1996 no slum in the city has been declared authorised but for those under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority BMC canrsquot undertake drainage work until a slum has been declared authorised The new policy says that if people can arrange a drainage facility then they will be given legal connections on humanitarian groundsPani Haq Samitirsquos convenor Sitaram Shelar has been fighting for the right to water for all since 2010 PicsSameer MarkandeThe onus for drainage facility is on applicants How much would it cost and is this fair to themRight now they are paying Rs700 for 1000 litres But if they get 1000 litres of water for Rs 5 they would willingly bear the cost of Rs 5000 for a drainage facility Licensed plumbers charge Rs 100000 to carve drainage systems these families willingly bear the expense of Rs 20000 per family because they want to have a dedicated connectionIs there really a need for a licensed plumber as mentioned in the policyNo a junior BMC engineer and a regular plumber is enough A licensed plumber is necessary for buildings with multiple floors because there is a need to check water pressure etc But the slums are flat structures In fact as per the Municipal Act and water bylaws licensed plumbers are needed only for buildingsSitaram ShelarDo you think all the slums you have been fighting for will now receive legal water connectionsThe policy needs some rectificationsmdashit excludes about 10 lakh people who live on the pavements as well as people residing in shanties on elevated or hillside areas So the entire stretch of Vikhroli Bhandup and Mulund still wonrsquot get formal water connectionsAs per a BMC survey about 25000 families live on the footpaths in South Bombay We feel that the western suburbs have a larger population of homeless people Our estimate says that about four lakh people live on the pavementBesides the new policy says nothing about tribals including those living in Aarey Colony Plus there are about 25000 families who live in forest area and have paid to the forest department to be rehabilitated but have no homes yet People settled in the salt pans near Bhandup also wonrsquot get water due to a court order this is not in the hands of the BMCWhatrsquos the immediate solutionOur demand is that pyaavs a community water stand which existed before the BMC stopped them should be reopened We have been demanding this for 10 years This should be done immediately on humanitarian grounds These could also cater to animals and birdsYou had a list of concerns before the policy was announced including NOC certification differential rates etc Have these issues been addressedCurrently if you want a water connection 23 departments such as Minerals Drainage SWD storm water drainage have to green light it Thatrsquos the SOP Standard Operating Procedure We have asked them to remove this burden from the applicantrsquos shoulder and put the onus on the BMC An applicant should get a water connection within 15 days The new policy also has an NOC clause saying applicants have to get an affidavit declaring they will arrange the drainage facility at their expense failing which action can be taken against themOur concern regarding the differential rates has been addressed by the CM but it has not been given in writing yetYou had argued that the allotment of a single connection per 15 families is irrational and should be should be rectifiedhellipThis argument will continue We think one connection should be allotted per family or five families at most A common connection leads to many problemsmdashimagine having a common connection per floor in a residential complex Besides the slums get water for a limited time Why would you do that to people who rush to stock up water before heading to their jobs as domestic help or drivers A building in Worli has an infinity pool on every floor So on one hand you can arrange for purified water for an infinity pool but you want others to fight for it every dayThe BMC talks about 150 litres of water per capita per day Considering this five families with five members each should have access to 3500 litres of water Can that one connection really do that It is not possible to get this much water in two hours even if you increase the pressure This is the chaos we are anticipating for five families Now imagine this chaos when there is only one connection for 15 families The earlier policy spoke about one connection for a maximum of 15 and minimum of five families The new one has made 15 families the minimum criteria There is a clause that if five families want to get a dedicated connection they have to get permission from the Municipal Commissioner So thatrsquos one more permission to chaseWhat would truly make a just water policy for allThe United Nation has written a paper that says water should be accessible ie it should reach you and you donrsquot have to go fetch it affordable potable and the onus for this should be on the municipal state or central authoritiesWhen the state takes this onus it will truly be a lsquoWater For Allrsquo policy