Mumbai: Aarey cattle farms hit by water crisis

Cattle owners claim they are spending Rs 3,000 daily for drinking water for cattle

While the residential colonies in Aarey are receiving adequate water supply, the nearby cattle farms are experiencing a water crisis, with cattle farm owners raising complaints that there is no drinking water for their cattle.

This comes amid ongoing issues with the water pump, which broke a few days ago. The Aarey Milk Colony has 28 units, and currently, approximately 20 to 22 of these units are facing water shortage due to a malfunction of the water pump or motor. The balance units have a separate water connection.

The cattle owners have expressed frustration, stating that the Aarey CEO's office and Public Works Department (PWD), who are in charge of supplying the water to the cattle farm, have failed to address the necessary repairs.

They have raised complaints that the pump, which broke about five days ago, has not been repaired even as of Wednesday, leaving them to rely on private tankers. The cattle owners say that over 10,000 of their buffaloes are without drinking water and that they are incurring daily expenses of R3,000 to purchase it from private tankers. Siraj Salema, a cattle farm owner, said the motor has been nonfunctional for the past five days. Owners from 22 units have lodged complaints with the Aarey CEO office and the PWD, but they have received no action.

He said that he is incurring daily expenses of Rs 3,500 for water tankers to wash his buffaloes and provide them with drinking water. He emphasised that approximately 13,000 to 15,000 cattle are affected by the lack of water supply over the past week.

Habib Raj Mohammad Khorajiya, another cattle farm owner, said, "The Powai water pipeline delivers water to Picnic Point Garden in Aarey Milk Colony, and from there, a water pump motor pushes it to the cattle farms. However, the pump has been out of service for the past five days due to a mechanical issue, and the authorities have yet to resolve it, forcing us to spend money on private water tankers."

Bilal Nagori, a cattle farm owner from Unit 15, said, "The water from Powai Lake is crucial for all dairy farmers in Aarey Milk Colony. Without it, our operations are severely impacted. The stables can't be cleaned regularly, creating unsanitary conditions, and the animals aren't being washed properly. Consequently, they often avoid drinking tanker water, which affects their health and reduces milk production."

Water supply in tribal hamlets

There are 27 tribal hamlets in Aarey, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) supplies water to these hamlets in the morning between 9 am and 10 am. The locals here have also been demanding that the water supply pressure to the hamlets should be increased along with an increase in time so that everyone can get a good stock of drinking water.

22
No. of cattle units out of the total 28 operating out of Aarey that are hit by water shortage. The rest have a separate connection