Thane residents face 60-hour water cut as Barvi dam dries up

Before the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) started the 60-hour water cut on Wednesday evening, it had asked residents to store water.

This is the first time the TMC has imposed continuous water cuts in areas which is supplied MIDC water. Residents will not get water supply from Thursday to Saturday.

Parts of Kalwa,Vitawa, Diva, Mumbra, Shil, Daighar, Kausa and Indira Nagar, Rupadevi Pada, Wagle fire brigade and Balkum Pada 1 are the worst-hit.

While some residents, who have borewell in the area, have an alternative source of water, not all are fortunate. Many started ferrying water from far off places.

Gopinath Bhagat, 45, lives near Government Polytechnic, Desai Road, in Diva. “We live near Desai lake and the water quality is good. We use the water for washing clothes and cleaning utensils,” Bhagat said.

The 60-hour water cut will hit the hoteliers the most.

Bhushan Patil, 38, runs a small hotel on Shil Road. He hopes he does not lose out on customers as he struggles to tide over the problem. “We have called for private water tankers,” he said.

“We receive 100 mld water from MIDC every day. Due to shortage of water in dam, the MIDC has imposed water cut, which was initially for 24 hours. Even after Saturday when we start water supply, water supply may be low-pressure,” said a TMC official from water supply department.

The TMC said it would provide water tankers in the areas facing water cuts.

The civic officials said that they sent 46 water tankers to the affected areas. “In the last two days, we supplied water from 56 tankers in Mumbra, Kausa and Kalwa,”said an officer from Mumbra ward office.

An MIDC official said that the water level in Barvi dam has been dipping rapidly.

“We want t o save water till monsoon and so we have imposed water cuts. We are planning to supply water for four days a week only. We will have to impose more such severe water cut,” he said.