BMC advises boiling and filtering drinking water for seven days in Mumbai, parts of Thane and Bhiwandi

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has appealed to residents of Mumbai, the eastern suburbs, and those areas of Thane and Bhiwandi where it supplies water, to boil and filter their drinking water for the next seven days. The BMC described the advisory as a precautionary measure.

The advisory follows the completion of repairs to compartment number 2 of the Yewai balancing reservoir in the Pise-Panjrapur complex. The compartment is to be commissioned on Wednesday, October 28. According to the BMC, the commissioning process may affect the quality of water supplied to the city, the eastern suburbs and parts of Thane and Bhiwandi. Residents of these areas have therefore been asked to boil and filter drinking water for seven days.

In Mumbai city, the advisory applies to the following areas. In A Ward, it covers the Naval Dockyard and BPT areas. In B Ward, E Ward, F-South Ward and F-North Ward, the entire ward is covered.

In the eastern suburbs, the advisory applies to Mulund East and Mulund West in T Ward; Bhandup, Nahur, Kanjurmarg and Vikhroli East in S Ward; Vikhroli, Ghatkopar East and Ghatkopar in N Ward; and Kurla East in L Ward. In M-East and M-West wards, the entire ward is covered.

The BMC has asked residents of those areas of Thane and Bhiwandi where it supplies water to take the same precaution. The civic administration has urged people to follow the advisory and use boiled and filtered water for drinking for the next seven days, as the quality of water may change after the reservoir compartment is commissioned.

Separately, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will impose a 10 per cent water cut across its jurisdiction every Wednesday. The measure is a precaution to manage available water stocks amid the possible impact of El Nino and fears of drought-like conditions. Under the new plan, supply will be shut for 24 hours in several parts of Thane, from 9 am on Wednesday to 9 am on Thursday. The cut will be implemented through the corporation's own network and through the STEM Water Distribution and Infrastructure Company Pvt. Ltd.

The decision follows a state government directive asking local bodies to use available water judiciously and to give priority to drinking water. The state government's resolution calls for planned and prudent use of water stocks across Maharashtra until August 31, 2027.

The first shutdown will begin at 9 am on Wednesday, October 28, and continue until 9 am on Thursday, October 29. It will affect several residential and commercial areas, including Ghodbunder Road, Lokmanya Nagar, Wagle Estate-area Vartak Nagar, Saket, Ritu Park, Jail, Gandhi Nagar, Rustomjee, Siddhachal, Indira Nagar, Roopadevi, Shree Nagar, Samata Nagar, Siddheshwar, Eternity, Johnson, and parts of Mumbra and Kalwa.

Regular supply will stop in these areas during the shutdown. Households and establishments that depend on the municipal network will have to plan their water use accordingly. The administration has asked people to make arrangements in advance and use stored water carefully to keep inconvenience to a minimum.