Surya Dam begins water supply to Vasai-Virar without inauguration; Mhada hopes to get buyers for unsold flats

VASAI/VIRAR: Soon after the Navi Mumbai Metro services started on Friday without any inaugural function, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), following an order from the chief minister Eknath Shinde, has started the supply of water from Surya dam to Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC).

Vasai-Virar started to get 8 megalitres per day (MLD) of water, which is expected to increase in the coming days to 185 MLD.

With the fresh development, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), is now hoping to attract buyers for its 2,200 unsold flats from the Virar-Bolinji scheme. The authority has decided to keep the lottery open on a first-come first-serve basis even after the date for the application expired.

MMRDA’s project to supply 185 MLD of water to VVMC and adjoining villages was ready in October but was waiting for the inauguration. Local Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Gavit took up the matter with the CM after the latter ordered MMRDA to start the water supply without further delay. Following CM’s order, MMRDA started supplying the water from Surya Dam to VVMC. 78 MLD of water was taken into the system, which went up to 85 MLD.

“MMRDA has started the additional water supply from Surya dam to the Vasai-Virar area as per the directives of the chief minister. However, it will take some time for the supply to reach its full capacity of 185 MLD. The quantity of water supply will increase in the coming days,” said a senior MMRDA official.

On the other hand, a VVMC official said that the water supply will be irregular till it becomes stable. “As of now, we are in the testing phase, and during this period supply starts and stops due to technical reasons in the system. We have gone up to the 85 MLD additional water supply and got disruption. By tonight (Sunday night) it is expected to restart. This supply will be on a trial-and-error basis for a few days as there are two systems involved in it, one of MMRDA and the second of the municipal corporation. Within a few days, both systems will synchronise, and the water supply will go up to 100-110 MLD. Only after a month or two it is expected to reach full capacity of 185 ML,” said the VVMC official.

The beginning of the additional supply from the Surya dam project has brought major relief to MHADA which was struggling to sell the flats in its Virar-Bolinj scheme. Despite the walk-in scheme to purchase the flats in Bolinj scheme, over 1,600 flats, were not sold in the lottery held in April-May. MHADA added all those flats in the ongoing lottery of the Konkan board and declared a first come first basis scheme to sell the 2,278 flats. Still, due to the water shortage, the area received only 454 applications for these homes. “The Surya dam project was ready, and the pipeline to supply additional water to our Bolinj scheme was also ready but there was no water. Now, MMRDA has started the additional water supply so it will help to solve the water shortage problem at Bolinj scheme. Now we have decided to accept the applications for the Bolinj scheme even after the formal deadline ends on December 4.” a senior official from MHADA said.