india tweets

join in!

Mumbai - A Looming Crisis

Water is the elixir of life and we in Mumbai shall soon have no water once a week. Come May and we would have run out of the last drop.

This megapolis guzzles 3500 million litres daily and is at the mercy of the rain Gods.  After nine years of surplus rainfall we face a thirsty summer.

Water supply to Mumbai and surrounding areas is a complex task managed by the Municipality. They have done an amazing job but even they have had to accept defeat to rising population and ofcourse scanty precipitation.

Water saving measures should help but cannot provide an entire city's daily requirements and desalination an expensive inevitable solution will meet only 10% of our requirement.

A crisis that can derail life and bring out the worst in us is at our doorstep and we are immobilised for now.

7 comments:

BK Chowla, said...

We tend to wake up only at the time of crises.
The govts are voted in power to govern.What has the Maha govt doing where planning is concerned.?
So long as the VIPs get their water supply--why should they bother about people in general?
Those can not govern must get out and make place for those who can govern.

Mavin said...

Chowlaji,

Mumbai metropolitan area is serviced by Powai, Vihar, Tulsi,Tansa, Vaitarna, Bhatsa and Modak Sagar lakes.

Capacities have been added continuously. supplying 3.50 billion litres every day to a city of 20 million is a fantastic achievement.

It is no mean task but continuous migration and scanty rains make the task very very difficult. I do not blame the BMC which for all the criticism is doing a great job of keeping the city on its feet.

BK Chowla, said...

Mavin,I see your point of view.
I have only this to say---it is the job of the Govt to think-plan-put it in place.
Why have the planners not hauled up.We are good at comparing ourselves to China and USA depending upon what suits us at which time.
Will they allow such a situation to arise in either of these two countries???

Vinod_Sharma said...

I think there are new desalination technologies that are reasonably cheap. Perhaps it is time to tap unlimited water available from the sea, at least for drinking, to begin with.

Unknown said...

i think some areas in bombay get water 24/7. some industries have diverted water their way too. Water bottling companies are also bottling water..the problem i see it is the distribution of water

Happy Kitten said...

nd Rain water harvesting also needs to be done...

though Chennia receives lesser rain (annual 1200 - 1300 mm.)than Mumbai ( 2457.0 mm) it has been successful with water harvesting..

do take a look at this article..
http://www.wikio.com/article/78856117

Mavin said...

Let me also point out that the population of Mumbai and surrounding metropolitan areas is around 2 crores.

This is a huge urban agglomeration probably rivalled only by Delhi - NCR.

Managing this is a stupendous task and as Anrosh says it is all about distribution.

Post a Comment


Blog Archive

Recent Comments

Powered by Blogger Widgets