The water tank near Aarey’s Modern Bakery appears to be flocked by children for use as a makeshift swimming pool. This is despite there being restrictions on people congregating in large groups, while there have also been incidents of drownings at the spot. However, it seems like the authorities are simply not doing enough to curb this dangerous practice.
Talking to Mid-Day, Imran Udat, an Aarey resident said, "The tank is infamous for many reasons. Earlier the tank was covered with metal grills, but those were stolen many years back. Now, despite the government asking people to maintain social distancing, children between 5 and 15 years jump into the tank and risk their lives. The police officers and Aarey CEO office should take serious note of this and take action against those swimming in the tank."
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The water tank is roughly 100 sq.ft in size and is 20 feet deep. Unfortunately, there are no metal railings or fences around it to stop people from getting in. The sole purpose of this tank was to accommodate cattle breeders to wash their buffaloes.
Following criticism of inaction, the CEO of Aarey Milk Colony, Nathu Rathod, said - "The CEO office has been doing its best to stop people from jumping into the tank but people don't listen. We have also been fixing iron grills, but antisocial elements steal them every time."
Given that heavy rains are expected to continue across Mumbai over the next few days, the last thing that the authorities would want is an unfortunate accident at the Aarey water tank. It appears to be a ticking time bomb at this point given that there are no restrictions on who enters the tank, and it’s mostly children at this point, the locals say.
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