Navi Mumbai: Water Crisis Hits Taloja, Severely Impacts Industrial Production Units

After residents, the water crisis has hit the industrial units in Taloja MIDC hard. Members of Taloja Industrial Association (TIA) held a meeting on June 20 with the MIDC official over the water crisis and requested that they streamline water supply.

They also alleged that while selected large industrial units are getting adequate water, small units are facing a tough situation.

During the meeting apart from TIA members, Bhushan Harshe, Superintending Engineer MIDC, S.P Avhad, Executive Engineer MIDC and Avinash Gadhde, Deputy Engineer, MIDC were present.

Taloja's industrial production takes a hit

“Since the past few months, the water crisis has hit production at the industrial unit in Taloja MIDC. Many units were forced to depend on water tankers. Hence, TIA had called for this meeting,” said a senior member of TIA. He added that members from TIA, who were present in the meeting, apprised the MIDC officials about the gravity of water issues in Taloja MIDC. “TIA requested MIDC to charge the industries on actual amount i.e. charge them only for the amount of water supplied by MIDC and consumed by the industrial unit and not as per the water agreement,” said the member, adding that MIDC understood the problem and assured to take up the subject with MIDC CEO and Chief Engineer MIDC.

During the meeting, industry members agreed that water should be supplied uniformly to all the industries in Taloja MIDC. They said most of the water is being supplied to just one of the large industries in the MIDC area, thereby cutting supply to all the others.

Further, TIA said it demanded to construct a 20 MLD holding tank in Taloja MIDC, which would help during the water crisis and for supplying to different zones of Taloja. MIDC agreed and said the proposal of building the water holding tank has been sent for approval to MIDC CEO.

Panvel alternate day water supply

Meanwhile, owing to depleted water resources at the Dehrang dam that supplies water to Old Panvel, the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) will supply water only on alternate days from Wednesday to tide over the water shortage. The dam has only five to six days of water available. Normally, monsoon arrives by mid-June and water levels increase. However, this year, till June 21, there was no rainfall in the catchment area of the dam.