THANE: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) hopes to get its 110 Million Litres per Day (MLD) plant at Bhatsa dam commissioned by the end of next month. The TMC will then turn its attention on lowering its water-related dependence upon state owned water suppliers and also to save on costs of water procurement.
According to informed civic sources, the TMC gets around 402 MLD of waters from various sources. Out of this, around 150 MLD is from TMC-owned water projects, while 127 MLD is from the Shahad Temghar (STEM) water authority. The BMC supplies around 60 MLD while the balance of 75 MLD comes from the MIDC.
While the STEM waters are the cheapest at the rate of around Rs 2.25 per 1000 litres, the MIDC and BMC waters are the costliest. The BMC and MIDC supply waters at the rate of Rs 8 and Rs 8.50 per 1000 litres. Besides claiming heavy costs, these two water suppliers also hold the TMC to ransom by providing fewer litres of water during the summer.
Civic sources inform that a water supply of around 300-350 MLD is sufficient for the city given the present population of around 18 lakh. The first phase of the 110 MLD project comprising 40 MLD was already commissioned early last year and is included in the 402 MLD of water being supplied to the city now.
With the commissioning of the second phase of 70 MLD by the end of next month the TMC will be getting even more water. The figures of 472 MLD will be more than sufficient for the current population of the city and will take care of the city's growing population till 2017.
The availability of surplus water for the time being has made the TMC think about surrendering costly waters from the state-owned water suppliers. The TMC is actively considering reducing the intake of waters from the MIDC after the commissioning of the second phase of the 110 MLD project.
Under the present agreement, the state-owned corporation is supposed to provide a maximum of 100 MLD of waters to Thane. The TMC however takes only about 75 MLD from the quota and hikes the quantity only occasionally depending upon temporary water shortage from other sources.
The corporation will reduce the water intake from MIDC in a phased manner from August onwards once the 110 MLD project is totally commissioned. The reduction will be steady and gradual until the TMC no longer requires MIDC waters to quench the city's thirst.
courtesy:www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
