TMC, PMC rapped for giving bldg nods amid water woes

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has come down heavily on Thane and Pune municipal corporations for allowing construction activities despite there being a shortage of water for domestic consumption in their jurisdiction.

Even though the corporations tried to assure the court that they had arranged for water, the court restrained Pune municipal corporation from issuing occupation and commencement certificates to any new construction and continued the stay at Thane. The court also sought details of the source of the water whether it was from borewell or any other source and whether it was being used as per permissible limits.

The division bench of chief justice Dr Manjula Chellur and Justice N.M. Jamdar was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Mangesh Shelar, a resident of Thane complaining that there were abrupt water cuts in various areas in Thane and it has become regular along Ghodbunder Road and residents were forced to buy water from private water tanker suppliers.

On Friday, the petitioner informed the court that the situation at Thane was being repeated at Balewadi and Hingewadi in Pune where new projects were allowed to come up without ensuring that there was sufficient water for consumption by people buying homes in the new structures.