Water tankers were seen parked in the city after the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) announced plans to go on strike from Thursday, protesting the Central Ground Water Authority’s (CGWA) directive mandating licences for groundwater extraction. The association claims the move will disrupt both commercial operations and key government infrastructure projects (PICS/SHADAB KHAN)
Updated On: 2025-04-09 08:04 PM IST
Compiled by : Divya Nair
Speaking to mid-day.com, MWTA Secretary Rajesh Thakur had said that the requirement to obtain a mandatory licence from CGWA is extremely difficult due to the stringent conditions imposed
According to Ankur Sharma, the spokesperson for the association, they have already started receiving notices from BMC ward offices since last week, along with well owners. "Complying with the CGWA conditions is nearly impossible. For instance, one condition requires 200 square meters of land around each well, along with the installation of a flow meter and a GPS tracking system. Where will we find such space in a densely populated city like Mumbai," he questioned
According to the association, there are approximately 1,800 tankers in Mumbai that supply non-potable water sourced from wells and borewells. Each tanker has a capacity of 10,000 litres. These tankers collectively supply nearly 200 million litres of non-potable water daily
Sharma further pointed out, “We supply non-potable water not just to small commercial establishments, but also to major government infrastructure projects, such as road concretisation. This decision could severely impact such development works. We have decided to begin an indefinite strike starting April 10, 2025
This is not the first time the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued such notices. In 2023, similar notices were served, but they were put on hold following intervention by the state government
