Common Sense Solution to Water Problem in Mumbai
With a burgeoning population and a building boom, Mumbai was waiting for a water problem with its limited fresh water sources and resources. The last monsoon with less than the average annual rainfall ( between 2000 and 2400mm) has triggered the problem this year. Already there is a cut of about 15 percent which is likely to go up to 30 percent or more till the arrival of the next monsoon. Schools had their exams early and the summer exodus has already started. But there is no respite for Mumbaikars.
Mumbai has a population of about 14 million and gets about 3350 million litres per day (MLD).It is estimated that only 20 percent of the water supply is used for drinking and cooking, 60 percent for bathing, washing and flushing and 20 percent leakage/pilferage. The water for flushing, gardening, cleaning cars could come from recycling, bore-well or rain water harvesting. Hotels and some housing colonies have bore-wells and some even recycle. The rain water harvesting can replenish and purify bore-well water which can otherwise become saline.
The water crisis in Mumbai is not merely a challenge but an opportunity to change the mind-set of the people, the politicians and the bureaucrats. BMC is searching for alternative sources of water in old wells, tanks and even highly expensive desalination of sea water around Mumbai. It has asked the Central Government to set up a desalination plant in Mumbai as it has done in Chennai.
Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) has been made mandatory for all properties with more than 1000 sq.mtrs and buildings with centralized air-conditioning. Recently, BMC has announced a rebate in property tax and development charges to promote Green Housing.
While all these measures have some value in ameliorating the water problem, one measure which can make Mumbai self-sufficient in water in a short time has not received the attention it deserves and that is, Rain Water Harvesting (RWH). Mumbai gets 2000/2400mm of rain in its 437 sq.kms area and this generates 8,78,000 million litres of pure water which is sufficient to supply 2400 MLD to the city. This was revealed by a BMC official some years ago. This is the potential. Even if we assume only 50 percent of the potential can be achieved, Mumbai's water problem would be solved. It is not clear why BMC has not made it mandatory for all housing societies to install RWH facilities in its premises. RWH has helped Chennai to meet the water crisis and it would help Mumbai as well.
The water problem in Mumbai reminds one the famous lines of English poet Coleridge, " Water, water, everywhere, Not any drop to drink." Mumbai gets torrential rains which all go to the sea and Mumbai is surrounded by sea, but Mumbai does not have enough water for its citizens. It is common sense state that Mumbai has to harness the waters of monsoon as desalination is an expensive option.
Since common sense is not common especially among the bureaucrats and politicians, it is for the common people to take up the issue. The NGOs who want to improve civic conditions in the city should request BMC to make RWH compulsory and educate people living in housing societies to go in for RWH. Slogan should be - do not ask what BMC can do for you but ask what you can do for the city.
If citizens unite to solve this water problem, it can be extended to other issues as well later on. Mumbai will continue to suffer – traffic problem, bumpy roads, hawkers – unless people do not take initiative to educate our masters.
April 30,2010.
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