Water Mafia of Mumbai  #04: Is Equal Access to Water Possible?

Vivek Agrawal

Mumbai, 18 August 2019

In a pivotal 2014 Bombay High Court ruling, the conventional order was disrupted. Based on Article 21 of the Constitution, the court deemed that the right to life remained incomplete without the right to water. Consequently, it directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to revise its policies and extend water access to all individuals, regardless of the legality of their residence.

However, despite this landmark decision, an estimated 2 million people continue to be denied lawful access to water. The homeless and those “occupying” land owned by the central government, parastatal bodies, or private entities are excluded due to the requirement of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the respective authority – a near-impossible demand. Administrative and political impediments persistently obstruct even the formally acknowledged slum areas. The Pani Haq Samiti (PHS), an organization championing universal water access, has submitted over 1,200 applications on behalf of more than 6,000 families since 2017, but only 96 have met with success thus far.

Meanwhile, individuals are left with limited options and often compelled to rely on informal and unreliable sources for water: seeking help from neighbors or workplaces, exploiting natural sources, benefiting from pipe leaks, or establishing unauthorized connections. When these alternatives fall short, the populace turns to water tanker trucks or bottled water.

An illustrative instance from Siddarth Nagar in Andheri reveals that, as per a 2018 report by the World Resources Institute (WRI), more than 60% of their water supply depended on tanker trucks, at a cost 52 times higher than piped water.

Kamla Naik, residing in the Maharashtra Nagar slum in Mankhurd, primarily sources her water from different homes in a nearby slum, a 10-minute walk away.

For this service, she pays them Rs 300-500 per month, granting her permission to fill around 8 cans, each containing 40 liters, on a daily basis. Her family carries these 320 liters on bicycles every night, averaging out to Rs 42 per kiloliter.

Despite the proximity to slums benefiting from metered water connections, Kamla’s home is deemed “illegal” due to its location on railway land. Others in her community resort to the water mafia, paying rates starting at Rs 400 per month for a family of four. In return, they receive a paltry 6-10 bottles of 20 liters each, amounting to an average cost of Rs 95 per kiloliter.

The Pani Haq Samiti has identified 62 such communities deprived of legal water connections. In a November 2020 report assessing the water and sanitation situation post-lockdown, it was revealed that households in these areas received an average of 30.41 liters per capita per day at a cost of Rs 710.88 per month – an astonishing 35 times the official rate.

Ultimately, a staggering 16% of Mumbai’s population, likely the most economically disadvantaged, are left at a disadvantage from both sides in the struggle for equitable water access.

Unveiling the Truth Behind Water Scarcity

Is the notion of water scarcity truly warranted? From a technical perspective, there exists no intrinsic need for inequitable water distribution across various societal strata.

Mumbai’s water supply potential is ample enough to facilitate equitable access.

When the inflow volume into the city (3,850 million liters per day) is proportionately allocated among the estimated populace (12.87 million), every resident theoretically stands to receive 299 liters per day.

Astonishingly, this surpasses the allotments in cities like London, Singapore, and Paris. Factoring in the portion lost to leaks and theft, termed non-revenue water (standing at 40% as of 2021), the per capita quantity diminishes to 178 liters per day.

Although this simplified division doesn’t account for industrial and commercial usage, it imparts valuable insight into the core issue. The root of the problem primarily lies in distribution challenges and the prioritization of water allocation.

Next: Water Mafia of Mumbai  #05: The Ulhas River: Battling the Water Tanker Mafia

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