Significant water shortages are expected across large portions of Mumbai as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) undertakes extensive maintenance and replacement work on key sections of the city’s water network. A combination of a complete shutdown in the western suburbs and a 15% citywide cut has been announced, with both measures being positioned as part of a larger infrastructure strengthening plan.
An 18-hour halt in water supply has been scheduled for Kandivali and Borivali, where work on connecting two major 900 mm aqueducts is being carried out. The activity has been described by officials as essential to creating an improved pathway for future water flow, and the operation has been planned from approximately 1.30 pm on December 4 to 7.30 am on December 5. During this period, water supply to multiple neighbourhoods—including Chikoowadi, Jaun Pada and Gorai—will be completely suspended. Localities such as Thakur Village and Samata Nagar, which depend on evening water distribution, will also face a full-day interruption because their scheduled supply falls within the shutdown period. Restoration of normal supply has been projected for the evening of December 5. Appeals for careful water usage have been issued across all affected pockets.
Parallel to this shutdown, a wider 24-hour water cut of 15% has been imposed across 14 municipal wards. This reduction, active from 10 am on December 3 to 10 am on December 4, has been linked to the replacement of the 2,750 mm Tansa pipeline, one of the city’s most critical raw water conduits supplying the Bhandup Water Treatment Plant. A vast urban stretch—covering Colaba, Churchgate, Marine Lines, Dadar, Worli, Bandra, Khar, Santacruz, Andheri, Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali, Kurla, Powai and Vikhroli—has been included in the advisory. Residents across these wards have been urged to store adequate water in advance and practise cautious consumption until supply stabilises.
Both maintenance exercises have been framed by the BMC as crucial components of Mumbai’s long-term water security strategy. It has been emphasised that the upgrades are aimed at reducing future leakages, improving pressure consistency and building alternate pathways that can ensure uninterrupted supply during emergencies. While the temporary inconvenience has been acknowledged, the civic body has maintained that the resulting improvements in distribution efficiency will benefit the city over the coming years.