THANE: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will trace every illegal water connection in the city and take strict action against it. Local plumbers who make such connections will be traced and booked for water theft, and valvemen who have worked in the same area for a long time will be shifted, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao directed at a meeting of department heads.
Rao asked the assistant commissioners of all ward committees to form squads to disconnect illegal connections, and to provide staff, security guards and, where needed, police protection for the drive. The work of valvemen in the water distribution system will also be closely monitored.
Micro-planning for a possible El Niño shortage
The meeting was called in view of a possible water shortage over the coming year due to the likely impact of El Niño. Rao directed all departments to work together and draw up a micro-plan for the next nine to ten months. The focus is on better management of available water, curbing leakage and theft, developing alternative water sources and quickly resolving residents’ complaints.
Every department has been asked to review the water supply situation, available sources, distribution network and likely problems in its area, and prepare a concrete action plan. Rao directed that an action plan be drawn up for every 15 days till June 30, 2027.
Where water is supplied on a zoning basis, residents must be informed in advance so they can plan their household use, he said. The administration will try to remove imbalances in supply and give all areas regular water as far as possible.
GPS tracking for tankers
To bring transparency to tanker supply, all TMC tankers will be GPS-mapped. Engineers have been asked to set up an online booking and register system for tankers on the lines of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The civic body will also keep a close watch on where private tankers fill water, their filling points and how water is drawn from them.
No drinking water for Metro, construction and car washes
To keep drinking water only for essential needs, washing stations, construction sites, garden watering and other commercial users will be told that they are strictly barred from using TMC’s drinking water.
Water supplied by the TMC to big projects such as the Metro, elevated corridors, coastal road and Ring Metro has been stopped until further orders. Rao has directed that treated water from sewage treatment plants (STP water) be made available for these works instead.
202 of 350 public wells can be used
The TMC will also focus on reviving public wells as an alternative source. The meeting was told that the city has 350 public wells, of which 202 can be used. Thirty-five wells that have already been revived are in use, and work on cleaning, repairing and reviving the rest is to begin at the earliest.
Wells in Diwa, Mumbra and village areas within TMC limits will be identified and listed, and a separate schedule will be fixed for their cleaning and revival. Rao asked officials to take local representatives and corporators into confidence and work with their suggestions and support.
Nodal officers and WhatsApp number for complaints
Separate nodal officers will be made responsible for following up on complaints such as supply disruptions, low pressure and irregular distribution. Weekly review meetings will be held at the city engineer’s level to track ongoing measures and pending work. Rao also said a separate WhatsApp number should be announced so residents can report water problems in their area directly to the administration.
An awareness campaign on saving water will be run on social media.