The ruling Shiv Sena of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has written a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan demanding 250 mld of extra water to Mumbai, including 150 mld from Navi Mumbai and 100 mld from Bhatsa.

Water from Bhatsa accounts for 60 per cent of the total supply to BMC along with five other lakes— Tansa, Upper Vaitarna, Tusli, Vihar and Modak Sagar. Bhatsa is also used as a major source for Thane Municipal Corporation and is used for irrigation purposes in Thane and Shahapur regions.

Sena leader and standing committee chairman, Ravindra Waikar, has said Mumbai needs additional water to solve the shortage. “In all the 24 wards I have visited with municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak, corporators have strongly spoken about water shortage. Citizens are facing a lot of trouble and so are corporators who have time and again presented this issue in various committee meetings and in the general body,” Waikar said.

He added that BMC is willing to pay any amount if it is assured of 250 mld of water. “Funding is not an issue, but filling in the water shortage is,” he said. After the winter session, civic officials and corporators will meet the CM and officials from state water resources department to discuss the issue.

Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner, Vijay Nahata said the civic administration has surplus water. “We have received intimation for additional supply from BMC but will take a decision after official talks,” he said.

While BMC has undertaken construction of the Middle Vaitarna dam, which will provide additional 455 mld of water, it will be completed only in 2011. Mumbai currently receives 3350 mld water when the demand is 4200 mld. Around 650 mld of water is unaccounted for and goes as wastage due to leakage and thefts.

Only two months ago, BMC had announced that building constructions requiring supply of two lakh litres per day, will not be given water connections till 2011. And for constructions where demand is less than two lakh litres per day, 45 litres per person per day will be provided instead of the present national norm of 90 litres per person per day. Sena had also asked BMC to stop providing water for construction of large skyscrapers and high rises, however the demand was rejected.