Mumbai water tanker strike: Rail projects, construction sites feel the first ripple

Water tankers lie idle outside a filling station at Reti Bunder in Mahim on Day 1 of the strike called by their operators. Pics/Shadab Khan

As the strike called by the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA) commenced on Thursday, key sectors across the city began to feel the initial impact, particularly construction sites and infrastructure projects. While day-to-day operations at major railway stations and hospitals remained largely unaffected on Day 1, several ongoing transport infrastructure projects - including the bullet train and Metro works - began showing signs of disruption due to the unavailability of tanker-supplied water.

Railway Speak

Both Central and Western Railway did not face any hiccups at any major stations or in train operations. While CR yards, terminus stations and other installations are supplied water via tankers, on WR, about a fifth of the Mumbai division's water requirement is met by tankers.

"We have sufficient backup and may not face a problem in the first few days of the strike, but if it sustains for a while, we will need to fall back on the BMC with whom we have already had discussions. Also, as mentioned on Wednesday, en route stations have been informed to stay extra vigilant and satisfy any water requirements," a railway spokesperson said.

Despite the smooth start, the ripple effect of the strike was felt at construction sites of railway infrastructure, especially ready-mix concrete (RMC) plants that have had to halt operations due to lack of water. Officials at the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is executing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project, expressed concern.

"If the disruption is limited to a few days, we don't expect significant issues. However, if the strike continues, it could affect critical construction activities, including those at the underground station site at Bandra Kurla Complex," said an NHSRCL official. Ankur Sharma, spokesperson for the Water Tanker Association, confirmed that no formal communication had been received from BMC or any government body. "We supply water to several transport and construction projects across the city. Many of these are already being affected as the strike continues," he said.

Construction sector feels pinch

Some construction sites managed to avoid immediate disruption. "We haven't faced any major problems yet, as both our sites are in the early stages of construction. However, work that requires heavy water usage has been temporarily halted. We can manage like this for about a week, but if the strike continues beyond that, our construction schedules will start taking a hit," said Vinay Chawla, director of TrueEarth Views. Hitesh Thakkar, president of NAREDCO Maharashtra, emphasised the critical role of tanker water in construction work, saying, "Any major project that has moved past the excavation stage requires large volumes of water daily. Almost 70 per cent of construction activities are dependent on it, especially for curing concrete and other processes. While the impact on Day 1 has been minimal, we cannot afford to stall work for more than 10 days. If the issue isn't resolved soon, it will disrupt project timelines across the board," he said.

Hospitals largely unaffected

Some of the major private hospitals in the city mid-day spoke to said they operate on BMC-supplied tap water and reported no disruptions on Day 1 of the strike. "We don't use tanker water for any of our operations, and thankfully, there was no reduction in the BMC water supply. The hospital will only face challenges if there's a cut in the municipal supply," said Dr S Narayani, business head, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai.