Thane: Alleging a complete collapse of Thane’s water planning system, three BJP legislators on Sunday accused the municipal administration of pushing over 25 lakh residents into the clutches of an unregulated tanker mafia that is allegedly profiteering from the city’s chronic water shortage while Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) authorities look the other way.Addressing a press conference, MLA Sanjay Kelkar and MLCs Niranjan Davkhare and Madhavi Naik warned the crisis could worsen if the anticipated El Niño impact affected rainfall, exposing the absence of any permanent and sustainable water source for the rapidly growing city.“Residents are being openly exploited. Several housing societies spend nearly Rs 5,000 daily while others are shelling out anywhere between Rs 85 lakh and Rs 1.5 crore annually just to secure water which is over and above their municipal taxes, society maintenance and housing EMIs. The municipality failed to fulfil assurances given to the Bombay High Court in 2017 on ensuring adequate water,” said Kelkar.MLC Davkhare alleged that tanker operators routinely manipulated supply and pricing to maximise profits. “Residents calling for emergency water supply are often denied tankers unless they agree to pay almost double the prevailing rate. Thane urgently needs a transparent tanker policy with fixed rates and an approved contractor list,” he said.Questioning the city’s water accounting, Davkhare pointed out that while the corporation collects property tax from nearly six lakh households, the number of registered water taxpayers is significantly lower.Naik meanwhile demanded a public audit of funds allocated by the state and central governments for water infrastructure projects. “All we are asking for is transparency and accountability in the expenditure of public money,” she said.The BJP legislators said they would raise the issue during the upcoming monsoon session and seek action including filing FIRs and invocation of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, against tanker operators found indulging in overcharging and cartelisation.Meanwhile, political observers viewed the BJP offensive as a calculated bid to corner its ally Shiv Sena, which controls the civic administration, amid growing frustration over several unresolved issues and unaddressed demands repeatedly raised by it party in the municipal corporation.
