Thane Mayor Orders Probe Into Water Crisis

Thane is facing a severe water crisis despite overflowing dams, with several localities experiencing acute shortages.

The issue was discussed during the Thane Municipal Corporation General Body meeting on Monday, where corporators across party lines confronted the administration.

Elected representatives highlighted the severe civic distress across areas like Kalwa, Ghodbunder, Vartak Nagar, Diva, Shil, Mahatma Phule Nagar, and Savarkar Nagar, where residents face issues such as no water supply for up to four days, brief low-pressure trickles, contaminated water, and delayed pipeline projects.

Corporator Kanchan Chindarkar noted that residents in Mahatma Phule Nagar face water supply once every 25-30 hours, often at 4:00 AM. Meanwhile, Corporator Archana Patil criticised the inaction on illegal tap connections in Diva, pointing out that paying taxpayers face scarcity while defaulters receive uninterrupted water.

In high-rise dense areas like Shil, residents rely on 10 to 15 water tankers daily. The corporators also slammed the slow execution of infrastructure projects under the AMRUT scheme, with Corporator Suresh Kamble remarking that the ₹450 crore spent could have built an entire dam.

Corporators Ram Repale, Ramakant Madhavi, and Rajesh More demanded that negligent contractors be blacklisted, unpaid, and stripped of future Thane projects. City Engineer Prashant Sonagra defended the administration, stating that 70% of major pipeline work under AMRUT-2 is complete, with overall projects scheduled for completion by November 2027.

Following the uproar, Mayor Sharmila Pimplekar ordered the civic body to submit a comprehensive performance report on all ongoing pipeline contracts. She warned that underperforming or sluggish contractors would face immediate blacklisting.

The water crisis in Thane has sparked a heated debate, with corporators and residents demanding action from the administration. The Mayor's order to probe into contractors' lapses is a step towards addressing the issue.

The water crisis is not only affecting the daily lives of residents but also highlighting the need for better infrastructure and management of water resources in the city. The situation is a wake-up call for the administration to take immediate action and ensure that residents have access to clean and uninterrupted water supply.

In conclusion, the water crisis in Thane is a serious issue that needs to be addressed urgently. The Mayor's order to probe into contractors' lapses is a positive step, and it is hoped that the administration will take concrete actions to resolve the issue and ensure that residents have access to clean and uninterrupted water supply.