Fishermen want MBMC to allot water lines for voyages
Stung by the extra financial burden due to the acute shortage of water, the fishing community of coastal villages in and around Uttan near Bhayandar has now demanded water connections to boat owners for their fishing voyages.
The local municipal corporator, Sharmilla Bagaji, in her letter to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) commissioner Dilip Dhole has urged the civic administration to allot water connections jointly to a group of ten boat owners.
“Already reeling under losses, the fishermen are forced to spend an astronomical amount to buy around 3,000 litres of water for every fishing voyage. A group connection to 10 fishing boats will give them a respite,” said Bagaji.
The fishing villages of Uttan, Pali and Chowk are home to over 650 fishing boats in the region.
As per the size and capacity of the boat, around eight to 18 crew members, including helpers and the captain, set out on a fishing voyage of a boat that lasts for seven to 10 days with expenses totalling more than Rs 1 lakh. For the voyage, boat owners have to keep an adequate stock of water for cooking, drinking and other purposes.
More than 14,000 people are directly engaged in fishing activities which is the main source of livelihood for a majority of the villagers. However, the inability of the civic administration to facilitate an adequate supply of potable water in the coastal region has resulted in a growing demand for water tankers and other private sources which take advantage of the crisis by charging astronomical amounts.
The issue is all set to take centre stage in the upcoming general body meeting of the MBMC.