Vasai-Virar Residents Continue To Face Water Cut Issues; MMRDA Aims For Permanent Solution

Vasai-Virar: The residents of the Vasai-Virar area continue to experience significant water shortages even after the repair of a transformer that failed last Tuesday, affecting electricity supply to the Surya Nagar Water Purification Centre set up by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

This interruption stopped activities at the Kavdas Pumping Station, severing water access for numerous individuals. Even though the transformer has been repaired, local residents of the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation claim that water pressure continues to be low, resulting in inadequate water supply.

The Surya water pipeline, aimed at addressing water shortages in a large section of the western Mumbai Metropolitan Region, has fallen short of expectations. Even though the Surya Regional Water Supply Project was recently awarded a national accolade, water supply problems continue to occur regularly.

MRDA representatives stated they are working with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited to find a long-term solution and have asked for more power connections. Nonetheless, MSEDCL asserts that it has addressed all power supply concerns, emphasizing that the transformer maintenance falls under the responsibility of MMRDA.

In the meantime, the conditions for residents deteriorated as the transformer failed again by Monday night, pushing back the restoration of water supply until Tuesday night. The Surya dam is expected to supply 403 million litres daily to the region, while work on the pipeline extension to Mira-Bhayandar is in progress. Engineers in the water supply department are concentrating on resolving the transformer problems, but the ongoing deficiencies in the MMRDA project obstruct water supply.

Depending on costly water tankers for more than a week because of the supply interruption has significantly raised expenses—varying from ₹6,000 to ₹10,000 per tanker instead of the typical ₹2,000 to ₹3,000. Residents voice their annoyance as they turn to bribing guards managing the water tank valves. While facing yet another water crisis, the VVCMC persists in assuring that actions are being taken to swiftly restore the regular water supply.