Thane: Water scarcity in Navi Mumbai is due to theft by “some elements” and apathy of the municipal administration under the Urban Development department, Maharashtra forest minister and local BJP MLA Ganesh Naik said.Incidentally, the Urban Development department is under Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Navi Mumbai municipal corporation is part of Thane district, which is Shinde’s stronghold.“Some elements are stealing Navi Mumbai’s rightful water share of 40 million litres per day (MLD) from Barvi Dam. These same elements then blame Navi Mumbaikars for not saving water or utilising it properly,” he said during a review meeting on civic issues held at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre auditorium in Vashi on Saturday.It was attended by officials from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), former elected representatives, and local leaders from various wards.“There is no elected municipal house in Navi Mumbai right now, so corporators cannot be blamed for administrative lapses. This water scarcity and the slow civic progress reflect the failure of the municipal administration, which is under the Urban Development department,” he claimed in a statement released from his office here.Naik said he has formally demanded an account of Navi Mumbai’s pending water supply for the last five years and eight months from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan and the municipal administration.“A 500 MLD water reserve has been earmarked for Navi Mumbai in the proposed Poshir Dam in Raigad, which will help resolve the city’s long-term requirements,” Naik said.The meeting also saw corporators and local leaders raise concerns about unfinished projects, including roads, footpaths, senior citizens’ recreation centres, underpasses, community halls, urban health facilities, water pipelines and sewage lines. PTI COR
