Navi Mumbai: An intense water crisis started affecting the city residents badly with no rollback of the 10% cut by the agencies. The proposed data centres under Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Panvel City Municipal Corporation have been a worrying factor. NMMC has appealed to the residents to cautiously use water, stating that 74% of Morbe dam’s stored water can be used owing to less rainfall. Rodpali and Kalamboli residents have started complaining about water woes.NMMC earlier this week attributed the poor rainfall to climate change factors: El Nino and IOD (Indian Ocean Dipole). In order to avoid the water crisis, the civic body’s city engineering head issued a nine-point advisory seeking public cooperation on Tuesday (Sept 29).The civic body appeals for avoiding the misuse of water, need-based use, not using potable water for washing vehicles, avoiding overflow while filling water tanks, not keeping the taps open without necessity, repairing leaking pipelines and developers using the water for potable purposes only, among others.Nerul activist Sanchu Menon said, “Redevelopment is rapidly going on in the city. So many project management committees are approaching the housing societies for redevelopment. Hence the water demand in the city will rise.”Koparkhairane activist Tejinder Singh said, “With such situations and crises, how will we manage data centres that consume tons of water in Navi Mumbai? Ongoing redevelopments cannot be compared to data centres.”Under PCMC, Rodpali Resident Welfare Association head Deepak Kasturi alleged, “We have been fooled by the Cidco, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and other authorities diverting our water to the airport. Residents need a permanent solution, not tankers every time there is a crisis.”He has requested PCMC to take control over the water supply system in the Panvel region and ensure reliable, adequate water for every citizen. Enough of temporary solutions. It’s time for permanent action.The Kalamboli node residents have been raising the issue of inadequate water supply to the node.
