Mumbai, March 16 BJP MLAs on Monday alleged serious mismanagement and lack of transparency by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) of Maharashtra in handling water supply projects in Navi Mumbai and neighboring areas.
During a debate in the state assembly, BJP member Prashant Thakur raised concerns over chronic water shortages affecting thousands of residents in Navi Mumbai, Panvel, and Uran.
He claimed that the incremental supply figures provided by CIDCO, the government's city planning agency, were misleading, and that many societies were forced to rely on water tankers, incurring crores of rupees in annual expenses.
Thakur alleged inconsistencies in official data regarding reservoir and pipeline capacities and demanded the creation of a state-level authority to coordinate water distribution among CIDCO, municipal bodies, and local panchayats.
His party colleague Mahesh Baldi supported the allegations, emphasizing that delays in automation projects and poor management of reservoirs were exacerbating the water crisis. He urged the government to ensure the timely implementation of planned supply schemes.
In response, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal defended CIDCO's actions, stating that short-term measures, such as utilizing surplus water from Navi Mumbai reservoirs and redirecting JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) pipeline allocations, were underway.
She said that long-term projects, including the Savase-Vang scheme, were being implemented, and assured that a tender for the full automation of water supply systems had been floated, with completion expected by December 2026.
A meeting chaired by the chief minister would be held before the session concludes to resolve the water management issues, Misal added.