'Dhol Morcha' & 'Handa Morcha': MNS & UBT Lead Separate Protests Over Sewri's Ongoing Water Crisis

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) held a ‘Dhol Morcha’ on Monday to draw attention to a silent crisis in Sewri. Located in the F-South ward, Sewri is experiencing extremely low water pressure and irregular supply for the past two months. The problem is particularly severe on Tokershi Jivraj Road.

In protest, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar and his partymen marched to the ward office and said that the shortage is not limited to just Parel or Sewri, but is plaguing the entire city. He said, “Many residents have complained. I learnt that a local MLA has been distributing letters in every household, asking people to report water-related complaints with promises to resolve them the next day. This is nothing but an election gimmick. When we visited the ward office, we discovered that a private builder had diverted a pipeline at Mahadevachi Wadi. Those who have influence in the BMC are misleading the people. This must stop.”

Former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Sachin Padwal, who has also been closely monitoring the problem, said it is a result of leaks that have persisted for over two months. His party is organising a protest – Handa Morcha – on Tuesday, from Kamgar Maidan to the ward office.

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Padwal said there are two pressure points in the locality that have dropped by four points each. He added, “One at the Sewri bus depot should deliver 30 points of pressure but is only 26, while the one near Lijjat Company should deliver 40 but is delivering just 36. The pressure particularly drops in the evening. When we spoke with chief engineer Purushottam Malvade, he confirmed that leaks were found and they are working to fix it.” The ex-corporator said they have been following up for the past 10 days, but are yet to receive any relief.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) protest will include five former corporators, MLAs, and MPs. “Residents from Sewri to Kalachowki are affected, but the hardest hit is Tokershi Jivraj Road. The area has about 8,000 to 10,000 housing units, where 40,000 people reside. With elections approaching, those who were never seen in the ward are now leading protests. Everyone has the right to protest, but we have been preparing since Saturday and following up with the water department for 10 days. However, on Monday, someone else took credit for it,” Padwal added.

MLA Ajay Chaudhary, who represents the Sewri assembly constituency, expressed his own frustration over the lack of BMC action. “A meeting was held in the office of assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, along with officials from the water department. Another meeting at the Worli Hub resulted in assurances that the water supply would be restored within eight days. The BMC also carried out a field inspection but no real action was taken despite assurances,” Chaudhary said.

Sagar Devgadkar, a resident of Sewri, said that it is shocking that the heart of the city, Parel, lacks a necessity like water. “For the past 10 days, we’ve been receiving water for just 10-15 minutes a day at low pressure. Not everyone has water tanks at home. We have been trying to store as much as possible, but are forced to consume bottled water, which is also not affordable. The government’s work is only visible on banners, not in reality,” Devgadkar said.