After facing acute shortage of water during this summer, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to cut down the water supply to housing societies or commercial establishments if they have a provision of common sewage treatment plant (STP). A circular has already been issued to all civic wards to check such establishments and start the process to cut down water supply by half. While issuing occupation certificate to big establishments of a minimum built-up area of 20,000 sq metre, the BMC had made mandatory of STP to meet excess water need of the premises. According to a civic official, such establishments are required to use half of the water need from treated water from its own common STP. Due to scanty rainfall in 2018, the civic body started with 10 per cent water cut from November 2018 across the city which was later increased up to 50 per cent in some areas. "In order to tide over water demand, there is need to recycle and reuse water and it has already in provision but bigger establishments are avoiding to operate their STP," said an official from the Hydraulic Engineering department of BMC. Prashant Gaikwad, assistant commissioner of K-West ward said that he has also received a circular regarding this. "A survey will be conducted to check how many such establishments are having STP and they are not operational," said Gaikwad. He added that such establishments will be asked to make their STP operational. However, a civic official said that this will be difficult to change the water connection. "While connecting water connection, the department should have laid pipeline that supplies half water to such establishments," said the official. According to a senior civic official, the purpose is to recycle at source and use treated water for purposes other than drinking and cooking. "The STP water can be used for gardening, cleaning vehicle and even cleaning clothes. If STP water is used in such a way, a lot of water can be saved daily and it will be easy for civic administration to meet the demand round the year," said the official. PRECIOUS DROPS

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