Bombay HC tells civic body to test Mahul water

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to get tested samples of water from Mahul, where a huge number of project-affected persons have been shifted by various authorities, and submit its report by Tuesday.

According to petitioners, the drinking water supplied in Mahul is contaminated and there are several other issues like ceiling leakage and unhygienic living conditions. The court issued this direction while hearing petition filed by people shifted there after their residential structures were demolished, because it were located within 10 metres of Tulsi pipeline in Vakola that supplies drinking water to the city.

Petitioner’s lawyer Vinod Sangvikar said that the main petition was filed because the BMC was not considering the petitioners as eligible for alternate accommodation despite there being sufficient documentary proof with them. The high court had granted stay on demolition of their residential structures, but despite court order the homes were demolished and hence the petitioner’s filed contempt petition in the court.

“Due to contempt petition the concerned authorities allotted petitioners alternate accommodation at Mahul in Chembur. However, we informed the court that there is no water supply to the tenements allotted to petitioners and there was  leakage of water from ceiling,” said Mr Sangvikar. The court was further informed that drainage and washbasins are chocked up and petitioners also complained about the continuous foul smell emanating from the sewage line.

While hearing grievances of the petitioners the division bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla on Thursday directed the BMC to repair the leakage and whatever repair works possible on immediate basis, and also test the water supplied in to those provided alternate accommodation at Mahul. The court also expressed its displeasure over the civic body’s apathy over the living condition of people at Mahul.