Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has neglected desilting work in the city’s crucial lakes and reservoirs for a decade, as revealed by a recent Right to Information (RTI) query filed by the NatConnect Foundation. These water bodies are primary sources of drinking water for Mumbai’s millions of residents, making the neglect particularly alarming.
According to BN Kumar, Director of NatConnect, the RTI response from the BMC indicated that no desilting work has been performed at the Tulsi, Modaksagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, and Vihar lakes over the past ten years. This lack of maintenance was also confirmed by the State Urban Development Department (UDD), which reported an absence of records for desilting activities. The BMC’s Ghatkopar Water Works office further corroborated this, stating that no funds had been allocated for desilting work.
The MGCM Assistant Hydraulic Engineer’s department in Kapurwadi, Thane, also confirmed the decade-long lapse in desilting efforts for these lakes. Additionally, there has been no information from the BMC regarding desilting activities for the Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarna lakes. Collectively, these seven lakes and reservoirs supply 3.4 billion litres of drinking water to Mumbai daily. Kumar highlighted the dissonance between the BMC’s allocations and actions, stating, “The BMC allocated about Rs 250 crore for desilting city drains as part of this year’s monsoon preparedness, but no actual work has been done.” NatConnect has written to the Chief Minister, urging comprehensive discussions with all stakeholders to address this critical issue.
Environmentalists warn that silt accumulation in reservoirs leads to inaccurate data on water capacities. Kumar pointed out, “Desilting is vital to maintain the water-holding capacity of lakes and reservoirs. Silt accumulation results in misleading data and a false sense of security regarding water availability. Meanwhile, residents are forced to rely on water tankers.” A BMC official responded to these concerns by noting that hydrographic surveys conducted by the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) have shown negligible silt in these dams, although some survey reports are still pending. The official added, “The presence of silt does not affect water potability as treatment plants ensure water quality. Desilting requires emptying the reservoir, which is impractical unless absolutely necessary.”
