The General Body of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation on Tuesday rejected Panvel City Municipal Corporation’s request to release 5 mld of water from Morbe Dam to resolve the water crisis in Panvel.
Former PCMC Commissioner, Rajendra Nimbalkar, had made the request on April 3. An NMMC official said, “If the proposal was passed, water would have been provided at ₹9 per 1,000 litre. The rules and conditions for supplying water outside NMMC jurisdiction has been framed as per section 201 of MMCA 1949.”
Mayor Sudhakar Sonawane said, “The decision was not politically motivated. It was taken keeping in mind the future requirements of the city. If we provide 5 mld of water, what will the city do in future when the demand increase? Our city’s population is increasing and so is the need for water. Morbe Dam was purchased in 2003 to meet the water needs of Navi Mumbai.”
Navi Mumbai consumes around 400 mld of water. “In future, if PCMC demands water we can make arrangements for a few days. But water on a permanent basis cannot be provided,” he said.
