BMC to regularise water connections to pre-2000 slums

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) would regularise water connections to slums in the city that came up before 2000. The decision comes in the wake of an announcement made by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to regularise water connections to pre-2000 slums.

"Water will be supplied to all slums that have come up prior to 2000. We will soon compile a report on the issue within few days and table it before the state government," Municipal Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya said.

Dharavi and the slums on airport land are the only two settlements to be regularised by the state. "As CM has said that slums at Dharavi and on the airport land, that cropped up before January 2000, be regularised. In this regard the MCGM will have to regularise water connection to them," Kshatriya said.

Currently, the city is reeling under acute water crises due to insufficient water in lakes that have a large share in meeting the water needs of it. The residential and commercial users are facing 15 and 30 per cent water cut respectively.

According to civic officials, 3.86 lakh shanties sprang up in the city between 1995 to 2000 with a population of 7.5 lakh residing in them.