Water crisis looms large over housing societies in Mumbai as tanker association to suspend services from Sunday midnight

Mumbai: As the Mumbai Water Tanker Association prepares to suspend services from Sunday midnight, several housing societies are already beginning to feel the impact.Residents of Jolly Makers Housing Society in Cuffe Parade said they are facing an acute water shortage as the society is heavily dependent on private tankers to supplement the limited supply received from the BMC.“We receive inadequate water from the civic body and rely extensively on tankers. With tanker services set to stop, even carrying out basic daily chores is becoming difficult,” said Zubin Contractor, a resident from the 25-storey tower. Contractor said that while on Sunday, they did receive tanker water, this seems to be a temporary arrangement.The crisis comes at a time when water stocks in the seven lakes catering to Mumbai’s drinking water needs have dipped to just 13% of their total capacity, prompting the BMC to appeal to citizens to use water judiciously.The Mumbai Water Tanker Association operates around 2,000 tankers with capacities ranging from 500 litres to 30,000 litres, catering to thousands of residential societies, commercial establishments and construction sites across the city.Ankur Sharma, representing the tanker association, said, “This decision has been taken due to the harsh and selective implementation of CGWA (Central Ground Water Authority) norms exclusively in the Mumbai Division, adversely affecting water tanker operators, well owners, ring well owners, borewell operators, RO plant owners, and water suppliers.”The 2020 CGWA rules mandate 200 sq m of open space around each well, proof of property ownership, digital flow meters, and NOCs. Tanker operators state these conditions are nearly impossible to meet in.Coming out in support of the association Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray took a dig at the BJP, saying, “Almost a year after the last strike, once again the Mumbai Water Tanker Association has called for a strike from midnight. Mumbai already faces water shortage due to water cuts that the @mybmc has implemented. Even though it says 10%, it actually is much more in certain areas. Even in such a situation, the government is now implementing certain norms of the Central Ground Water Authority that are illogical for Mumbai. The government cannot supply enough water, people are forced to be dependent on tankers and the government is now penalising tankers, leading to a strike. Last year, the BMC and BJP pretended to intervene, promised changes in norms and nothing happened. The BJP has government at all levels and refuses to keep its promises and ensures Mumbai suffers. Had the BJP regime not scrapped our desalination project in 2022, it would have been operating by 2025 and no shortfall would occur. Nonetheless, even now, the @JalShaktiMin can still amend its norms. Sadly as of now, everyone in this regime refuses to intervene, while Mumbai suffers. Why does BJP hate Mumbai so much?”The Mumbai Water Tanker Association had gone on an ‘indefinite break’ on April 10, 2025, after the BMC issued notices to well owners to get NOCs from Central Ground Water Authority, as per revised guidelines, failing which permits were to be cancelled. While the association had said that an NOC was only needed for drinking water and not the non-potable water it supplies, the BMC had asserted that action would be taken if extraction continued without approval. The compliance date was later deferred.