Water meters for post-1995 slums

In order to avoid the water theft and to wipe out the water mafia, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to give water connection to all unauthorised city slums erected after 1995. The water connection will be only on the basis of prepaid water meter.

The population of Mumbai is about 1.2 crore and the requirement of water is about 3,900 million litres per day (MLD), but the civic body could supply only 3,350 MLD and only 2,400 MLD water reaches the destination because there are various problems in the distribution. The water pipes leak because they are more than 100 years old.

The major problem in the water distribution system is that the 60 per cent of the population is residing in slums and they have unauthorised water connection because the state government had decided that the slums erected after 1995 should not be allowed water connection.

To stop this theft of water and end the water mafia raj, the BMC has decided to give water connection to the slum dwellers on the basis of prepaid water meter.

Additionally, in order to meet the city’s water deficit, the BMC is also developing new water sources in Thane. Through this new water project, the city will get 455 MLD and 865 MLD water in next five years.


What’s a prepaid meter?
In prepaid water connection, one needs to pay upfront the bill of the quantity of required quantity of water. Water from prepaid water meters typically costlier than water billed from the utility. The metre will not allow more water than the quantity purchased. After that the meter will automatically shut the volve. Only BMC employees with a proper key can open it or recharge it.

Source: mumbaimirror.com