Mumbai: From May 1, every citizen of Mumbai will get a drinking water connection under the BMC’s ‘Water for All’scheme. This includes huts on footpaths and buildings with illegal construction. It has also been reported that the policy will come as a big relief to thousand of buildings where residents and ccurrently have to pay double water charges due to non-availability of the occupancy certificate.
“No one will be left without a legal water connection. But having a regular water connection will not mean an illegal structure has been regularised,” said Aaditya Thackeray, suburban guardian minister. “Under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘Water for All’ policy, buildings without OCs, buildings with illegal construction and every hut in the city will get water at a regular price ,” said a BMC official.
The official has also said that“Even slums in the coastal regulation zone, will be supplied water. Slums on Central government lands like the railways or BPT will get water connections after the concern authority’s nod permission. Minister of Tourism, Maharashtra of India Aaditya Thackeray visited the BMC head office on Monday and analyzed the policy. “The BMC will provide drinking water to everyone. The Water for All policy will be implemented from May 1. The BMC is also working on a desalination project to increase water for the city,” he said.
One of the official from Bmc also said that If everyone gets a legal connection it can help prevent illegal water connections that cause water contamination and loss. The legal connections will increase BMC’s revenue. “While supplying water to illegal property, the BMC will take a written guarantee from the person concerned in the locality. The water supply document won’t be legal proof of the concerned property, the BMC said in an official statement.
