Indian Express 15.12.2009
In city slums, one cutoff for water supply, another for rehabilitation
Under pressure to implement the Chief Minister’s guideline, senior civic officials said the cutoff year will pose a problem. “The Supreme Court has still not permitted regularisation of slums till 2000. It will be difficult to legalise their connections,” an officer said.
The Chief Minister has said the BMC will be asked to consider regularisation of these connections by recovering charges from slumdwellers. The matter was discussed today in a water review meeting headed by municipal commissioner, Swadheen Kshatriya. “We will regularize the connections of pre-2000 slumdwellers for the Dharavi redevelopment and Airport Authority projects. It is not possible to have separate laws for other slums and we will examine the legal possibility of regular connection for all slums pre-2000,” he said.
The BMC in 1996 issued a circular banning supply to slumdwellers settled since 1995, followed by a state announcement that the cutoff date for rehabilitation was January 1, 1995. One connection is given to a minimum of five households and a maximum of 15. Those without one draw water through illegal pipes or steal from BMC pipelines.
Officials said legalising connections would reduce thefts but also cautioned it would burden the water department. “In the current water crisis it does not seem right to regularise connections as we would have to compulsorily provide water to these slums and be accountable,” said an official.
The meeting reviewed the water situation in all 24 wards and directed officials to identify new sources like ponds and explore the possibility of those being used for potable and non-potable purposes at local level.
The civic administration will also meet bulk consumers like commercial complexes, railways, hotels and industrial houses to form a strategy and reduce the use of fresh drinking water for non-potable purposes. The BMC wants the Railways and BEST to use recycled sewerage water to wash trains and buses, and in air-conditioners, gardens and toilets.
