The Thane water crisis is set to intensify, with residents facing a 24-hour weekly shutdown by STEM and the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), alongside a 36-hour weekly cut already imposed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Officials have warned that overlapping restrictions could leave parts of the city without adequate water for up to two-and-a-half days, followed by two days of low-pressure supply.
STEM Water Distribution and Infrastructure Co Ltd supplies about 115 million litres per day (MLD) to Thane from Barvi dam through the Temghar treatment plant. The company is jointly owned by the Thane, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Mira-Bhayander civic bodies and the Thane Zilla Parishad.
TMC draws another 250 MLD from Bhatsa through its own network, while MIDC supplies 135 MLD from Barvi. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation provides an additional 90 MLD to the city. Under the Maharashtra government’s directive for a 10% water cut, Thane is expected to lose approximately 37 MLD from the 365 MLD supplied by STEM and TMC.
Instead of imposing smaller reductions each day, STEM and TMC are opting for a 24-hour shutdown once a week, according to a civic official. MIDC has adopted a similar arrangement, with its 36-hour weekly shutdown beginning from Thursday midnight and continuing until further orders. BMC is enforcing a daily 10% reduction.
The restrictions have already triggered increased demand for packaged water. Residents have reported dwindling stocks and longer waiting periods for online deliveries. “Residents are already discussing to start stocking bottled water and jars in our area, anticipating an acute shortage in the coming days,” Anubha Sahai, a resident of Hiranandani Estate, told the Times of India.
TMC is preparing to expand tanker-filling capacity as demand rises at its sole existing centre at Saket. Around 70 tankers, each with a capacity of 10,000 litres, currently collect water there for delivery to water-stressed areas. The civic body is also operationalising a new filling centre at Manpada to serve the Ghodbunder belt, officials said.
The supply disruption is also increasing the cost of private tanker water. TMC charges Rs 700 to fill a 10,000-litre private tanker and Rs 1,000 for delivery through a civic tanker. However, housing societies have reported paying between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,500 or more to private operators as demand rises, prompting concerns about profiteering during the shortage.
TMC said it was working to reduce inconvenience by adopting a water-zoning system, under which supply would be managed so that no area remains without water for an extended period. The civic body’s additional tanker-filling centre at Manpada is the next operational measure identified in the report.
