In a significant relief for Mumbai residents struggling with severe summer heat and water shortages, the city’s private water tanker operators have ended their indefinite strike. The decision came on Monday after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) invoked the Disaster Management Act and held successful negotiations with the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA).
The strike, which began on April 10, was called in response to notices issued by the BMC to private well owners supplying water to tankers. These notices required them to obtain licenses from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), prompting the MWTA to protest the directive. The disruption affected the water supply to residential complexes, construction sites, and even the railways.
The breakthrough came following a meeting between Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and MWTA representatives. A statement from the BMC highlighted that the discussions were positive and productive. The civic chief assured the association that their concerns would be taken up with the Central Government, and administrative support would be provided.
Following assurances, MWTA General Secretary Rajesh Thakur announced that the association would immediately resume water supply operations. “We have decided to call off the indefinite strike and resume water supply in Mumbai with immediate effect,” Thakur said.
The BMC also informed the association that notices regarding license compliance had been deferred until June 15, as per directions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil. Furthermore, the BMC clarified that no action would be taken against borewell and well owners who already had necessary approvals, though new approvals would still require compliance with CGWA norms.
The tanker strike had prompted the civic body to invoke the Disaster Management Act on Sunday, giving it authority to take control of private water sources and ensure uninterrupted supply with support from the police and transport authorities. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was developed to manage water requisitions from societies through Citizen Facilitation Centres (CFCs), including tanker dispatches and payment collections.
The MWTA, which comprises approximately 1,800 tankers with capacities ranging from 500 to 20,000 litres, supplies around 350 million litres of water daily across the city.
Despite the resolution, political backlash followed the delayed intervention. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticized the state government and the BMC for their slow response. In a post on social media platform X, he questioned why authorities waited until after major public holidays — Mahavir Jayanti, Hanuman Jayanti, and Ambedkar Jayanti — to act, despite early warnings from the association.
With the strike now called off, the BMC has confirmed it will no longer need to proceed with acquiring private water infrastructure. The civic body and the tanker association hope to maintain continued dialogue to prevent such disruptions in the future.