Just 5 days into the Water Crisis, and people of Mumbai are living in fear. And in thirst.

shekhar

Death toll up to 7 in riot over water tanker in Malabar Hill, Mumbai

The driver of the water tanker, Suresh Salve succumbed to his injuries in hospital, as the death toll in the ‘water tanker riot’ rose to 7. Harish Malvade, the guard who fired the first shot killing Pradeep Amre, the 11 year old boy from the local slum, is fighting for his life even as the police waits to question him. Sources say the gun was unlicensed.

The riot apparently broke out as the people from the slum tried to stop the tanker and ask for water. The driver tried to force the tanker through the crowd, injuring some people, and riot broke out. The driver was pulled out and almost beaten to death.

Meanwhile the parents of the boy, Pradeep Amre are leading a morcha of over a 100 slum dwellers demanding an investigation into why a thirsty young school boy was shot for trying to steal a water from the tanker. The Mumbai police are trying to bring the situation under control as the riots threaten to spread to other parts of Mumbai. The water situation continues to be precarious and water tankers are being brought in to Mumbai, but are often unable to get to their destination as they are waylaid by armed gangs.

This is the 5th day of no piped water supply in Mumbai.

There are questions demanding to know why an armed guard was traveling with the water tanker. A news bureau report has confirmed that the guard was hired by the new Water Mafia that has emerged in Mumbai. Hotels and Housing Societies in the posher areas are now dealing directly with the Water Mafia to supply them with water as the BMC distribution systems have broken down, and the State Government is trying to bring the situation under control. Promising that supply lines will be restored as water becomes available. The reservoirs are low, as the demand in the city far outstrips the supply of water.

Meanwhile, the State Government has asked schools and colleges to shut down till the situation eases. Five Star hotels have become a refuge against the water crisis, and in the city are already full. Reportedly they are charging upwards of Rs 75,000 per night, but are not taking any bookings over two to 3 nights as they cannot assure any water supply beyond that. Hotels too apparently are dealing directly with the Water Mafia.

Airlines and trains are reportedly showing heavy loads of people leaving Mumbai, and airlines are putting up more flights. The water crises is a financial bonanza for airlines and hotels in the short term, but the chairman of one airline said in a press conference that in the long term such a crisis will drastically reduce the amount of traffic in Mumbai.

The US government yesterday issued a travel warning to it’s citizens in Mumbai, and are reportedly moving staff to their other consulates within the country till the water crisis eases out.

Citizen groups are co operating with the police and the State Government. The biggest fear is that sectarian violence will break out as local political parties step up their call for a ban of entry of people to Mumbai. The State Government has appealed for calm and said any panic will only make matters worse. They are promising to repair the pipelines that have been damaged. Reports are coming through that some of the pipelines were deliberately damaged by the water mafia to create the shortage.

In the meantime the Army has been called in to ensure that water tankers get through to Hospitals and other essential services, but there have been reports that some of that water has been diverted to the houses of ministers.

Just 5 days into the Water Crisis, and people of Mumbai are living in fear. And in thirst. NGO groups are angry, saying they have been warning of this crisis for a long time. Mr Debankar Rao of the Dekho foundation says that if the recommendations of the Infrastructure Committee had been implemented, this crisis could have been averted :

a. Better Water Management, with 30% of Water wasted in leakages etc, and stopping the nexus between the municipal corporations and the water mafia.

b. More equitable distribution of water through a steep rise in water charges beyond certain levels of consumption.

c. Creating employment and education opportunities in rural areas through implementation of the Broadband Connectivity Policy, in order to stem the pressure on population in Mumbai.

64 thoughts on “Just 5 days into the Water Crisis, and people of Mumbai are living in fear. And in thirst.”

  1. Its very hard to know about the water crisis that these people are facing in mumbai. Esp ppl living in slums and ppl who can’t afford water supply from water mafia or any other expensive source.
    Will govt do the right thing to fix the pipelines asap and break the nexus between water mafia and municipal corps? I hope for no more deaths in this riot….
    I wish you all the best for your movie PAANI shekhar… I hope people will come to know certain facts about water scarcity in india and will use paani carefully

  3. So patheic more than it can be. . How ppl are ready to kill and die for water crisis. . But not ready to take simple steps to avoid such crisis. They are ready for a bloody riot, but will fight with Government for their rights. They are ready to kill each other but not corrupt official responsible for this. Really pitiful!

  4. Thank you Shekhar, this news in not highlighted in media. Maybe media would learn how to make a consolidated news report and how to do follow-up. Yet, Most of modern electronic media-person have their lineage to a weekly news show, “The world this week”; Still we don’t get any consolidation of news.

    The least we can say about printed media, the better. They are entirely tabloid-ified.

    May be your film PAANI is not based on future at all. The crisis is clearly here and in present. we are all sitting huddled together in a dark room, waiting for the movie to start.

  5. awwww….and here i was thinking it was a scene from ur film paani 🙁
    u come up with some reallly outlandish but interesting info…every day i get a lil more enlightened!
    from robert bruce to buddha!

  6. Nothing in the papers! Not one word??

    Or is this from your movie?

    What credibility does the BMC have after hundreds of gallons were lost from ancient pipes?

  7. hmm.. tho i havnt read any of this in the papers! ignorant me.. but i am sure this could be a reality..soon

    chaitanya kulkarni
    A.D 9819921827

  8. Scripted thoughts? Imagination? Reality? Fiction? or prediction?? I am lost !!

  9. Shekhar,

    Your new website looks crap – why did you change the last one ?

    Anyway – dont do panic mongering.

    Water shortages have been part of Indian History for a long time now.

    Dont pander to your western pay masters , by your loud and stupid tom tomming of what is an everyday water issue – this is true for many parts of the world..

    Loud and Stupid people are a problem for India. The problem is when they are Loud about Stupid issues and not the real issues – it gives you away….

    We would not care if it was just an opinion but having gained some footground into celebrity status – people like you get the power to influence people and thats why you are a Dangerous Idiot

    Better Shut up and do something positive or educate yourself about your own culture – the eternal Vedic Religion of India.

  10. Ab vo josh, vo junoon, vo jawani nahi.
    vo sewa ka jajba, vo khoon me rawani nahi,
    likhne ko ab to koi nai kahani nahi,
    yaha tak ke dub marne ko chullu bhar paani nahi…..

    pata nahi fir bhi nadan aur nasamaz janta AKAL(garmi) ke samay me leader’s se drum aur balti bhar PANI ki ummid karti hai

  11. How lame cam u readers get.. it’s a passage from “paani”.. not reality.. if ur sensibility defeats you den try this new site “www.google.com”..

    cheers

  12. People Like Rudra ashame me. Loud and stupid people need to do something about the millions who have no access to clean drinking water or sanitation. I know I have been to India and lived there.
    As a water resources engineer in the US, I can assure you this much, that the water crisis is about to blow over in India because there is no planning, no sustainablity. We do demand projections for the cities in the US 40 years in the future, demand projections for populations and demand for water and based on that, deisgn more water treatment plants or water tanks.
    An India that is touting its advances in the IT field and yet that technology is not used to provide clean drinking water to millions of people, who have no access to it. That technology is not used to provide good infrastructure, save the environment or save the dwindling wildlife from the Asian Lion, the Himalayan Wolf, to the Bengal tiger, which are on the road to extinction in our lifetime. An India that proudly screams how darned incredible it is, on the sides of Metro trains in Sydney, Australia. An India where the laptop and IPod carrying modern yuppie careens on really bad roads in the latest BMWs. An India where a woman can put on her diamond jewelry and grab her $4,000 Hermes Kelly bag, but think nothing of the fact that there is no drinking water available in their kitchens all day. An India where the younger generation flood pubs and clubs to flout their daddys cash. Yet they think nothing of the fact that just outside the pub, there are thousands of children who have no food and clothes or a safe life. Something to be said about this kind of apathy that seeps in, is it a sensory overload or is it that your mind blocks things after a certain time?

  13. Shekhar,
    I would love to help the water crisis in India. Where do I begin?

  15. Ms. MJ.. instead of prophesying on what we already know and critiscising our so said LIFESTYLE sitting in USA which sounds hypocritical.. why don u lead the path in doing wha needs to be done?

  16. sir namaste, my name is raviraj i am a journalist, its great that you are making a film anout water crisis. there is an vintage lake called begum talab in bijapur through the drinking water supplied to the people. hence govt development works have ruined the talab and now people are thirsty for water and facilities. so its a lesson to us that we sholud concerve tradational water sources…..

  17. sharath,
    So typical, I have worked in third world countries, and I know.
    For earths sake everybody makes a difference. It is a colossal effort and everbody has to make an effort. It is a movement; it is a way of life.

    What do I do? Baby steps …I reduced my waste (from 3-4 trash bags a week at the curb, a few years ago to now we generate just a bag or less), we recycle, we reuse. We compost. I try to buy things that are organic, buy local, grow my own vegetables, no plastic bags. I try to buy stuff that is fair trade certified. I try to buy less, use less. I have such a long way to go though.

    . I try my best to leave a place a little better than I found it. More importantly what are you doing sitting there?

  19. Shekharji,

    I was elated, the moment I came to know that you are making a film on WATER. And I felt I must write to you about this. I never fantasized that one day a film will be made on this essential element.
    We, the people of a small town (is the District Headquarters) of North Karnataka face water crisis almost everyday. Its not because of drought or very little rainfall. In fact last year there was heavy rainfall so much so that it lead to floods in this part of the state. In spite of this, we are confronting water problem. Its all because of the laxity of the government and the water regulating body lacking appropriate planning for fresh water storage and supply. To add are the corrupt workers. They let the water to flow for more hours to those who bribe them. But for others, its only once in a month for few hours. The poor stand in queue under the hot Sun to fill all their containers. Those who can afford, dig a bore well. Because of this, the number of bore wells is increasing day by day. Nowadays, this may also be the environmental circumstance of frequent occurrence of shallow earthquakes in this part. I reckon this situation is of the entire country. In case of this, its terrible to imagine the state after 10 more years. If this continues, then we all know that its seriously a THREAT to EARTHs stability.
    Though the people are bestowed with abundant natural resources, its the oversight of the governments causing this issue. Also to point out are educated and uneducated who waste water for being lazy to turn off the tap after use or may be carelessness.
    I conclude this note with a hope that film comes out as sensational.

  20. Dear Ms. MJ: It is quite evident from your posts that you have been recycling your urine and feces for years now; Thanks but no thanks with regard to your offer to help Bharat Varsh at this point of time;)

  21. Chakra,
    Its pathetic people like you that bring shame to the human species.
    There is no drive, no motivation to do anything good for anyone and anything in your life. you sit and just rant your mouth like an idiot and prove to everybody you are a Moron.
    Hopefully people like you wont deter people like me who would like to make a difference.
    the best way to describe people like you is to compare you to an annoying gnat.
    Also nobody asked you, you dimwit.
    Thank you and Cheers
    MJ

  22. Ms. MJ,
    i critisiced ur comments on our so said LIFESTYLE, not on the work u did.. i asked u to lead the wy here.. u of all ppl seem to know wha’s wrong and the corrective steps tat need to be taken.. tell me what needs to be done.. shutting our taps tight is taken care of… “stop using plastic bags” well is in prcess… building a tank is unrealistic unless n untill i own a place.. again with no disrespect directed @ ur work or experience i ask of you to lead the path in help avoiding the water crisis which u told u see in near future, i’m talking government level, water board level .. what are the steps tht can be asked off our gov to be implemented?… i’v seen water treatment plants, water tanks but what numbers or projection u spoke of being a missfit is wha i’m askin ur expert guidance on. i’m willing to lend support.. tell me how.. who do we reach out for? and how do we proceed?

  23. Dear shekhar kapoor sir,namaste..i am Dushyant sharma an aspiring film maker..i never saw any of your movies but i closely observed you at india’s got talent..i dont know whether you will read my comment or not but sir you are the one of the most..the most sensibile person i ever seen on this planet earth..i just remember the incident when a group of punjab’s children were performing on the stage and a small child who dont have both hands and when you ask her to come in front and than you began to wept and i also began to wept..than i come to know that how sensible you are towards feelings..when you justified each performances than you uses such a beautiful words than i cant explain..i just love you sir..i never seen such a sensible person..i want to touch your feets..i contact many times at walkwater media to meet you but i never succeed..i want to show you some thing which i wrote on poor indian farmers commiting suicides due to loan,poorness etc..my intension is not to get any break in film industry as a writer but i know that only you and anurag kashyap sir are the person who can justified with such a topic..i write my best feelings as i am too sensible and i just want to show you without any expectation from you..i meet anurag sir but they were extremely busy and they dont have any time to read my script..sir if you go through my message than pls let me know how can i deliver my script to you..i dont want anything from you..but i know you can do justice with my script..

    shekhar sir being an sensible person i want to show the poor conditions of indian farmers,their anger,frustration etc on screen..but sir its really hard to contact you..so thats why i am writing all this on your blog..i am not here to obilige any one and i dont want any sympthay but i just want to show you my feelings..if you read this than sir pls drop a mail on my mail id..because i dont have your mail so that i can contact you directly..my mail id is-sshootoutt@yahoo.com

    main esi umeed me jee raha hu ki mere marne se pehle mera film bnane ka sapna sakar ho jayega..kyunki russian me kahawat hai ki umeed sabse akhir me marti hain..

    regards..
    Dushyant sharma
    Aspiring film maker
    09982036008

  24. shekhar sir..why not you start a new column where we can inteact our feelings,our sensibility towards world cinema with you..we can ask queries etc..we want to ask you a numbe rof questions regarding films,film making..but sir there is no any column in this blog where you can reply our queries..pls sir..lets start a new thinking..

  25. similar column is in rgv blog..reaction to reactions ..where we can put down our queries and rgv sir replies us..the same thing i am talking about to start a new coulmn..sir pls do a reply to our queries..we just see you at india got talent..and i just blow off by your sheer intelligence towards world,cinema etc..i also respect you as you are the most sensible person i ever seen on the planet earth..so sir just make a new begining so that we can ask you a lot and you can replies back..

  26. as sir i am continously trying to contact walk water media but sir still i dont get any reply from them..i just want to show you something..pls sir let me know how can i meet you..

  27. dear chakra, may I ask you to please follow the rules of tis blog where people are asked to discuss and present their points of view and if people disagree with each other, then there must be a civil way to disagree ?

    shekhar

  28. dushyant, I am traveling and busy with my film right now, so it is difficult to meet me. However it would be great if you send what you have on the terrible conditions of the farmers, so that everyone on the community will be able to share it. I look forward to you sending me the material on the blog.

    shekhar

  29. shekhar sir pls forgive me but i cant resist myself for asking that is that really you are replying or some other blogger ..if sir you are real shekhar sir than sir pls forward your mail id..

  30. shekhar sir i am deeply inspired by the movie hurt locker in which we can closely interact with the feelings of bomb squad’s..because at the end of the day they are also human being and the intention of the director is just to show that how intense they are living their life..similarly i want to create the attention of indian government that how our poor farmers are suffering due to so called finacial problems..amir khan sir is also going to produce peepli live on the same issue..but i think THERE ARE MILLION POSSIBLE FILMS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EACH ACTUAL FILM..

  31. shekhar sir,how can i send my all written content on this blog because i wrote in hindi on simple paper and i dont know how to proceed further it on to your blog..and sir i wrote all the stuff in the form of a movie script..as i am an aspiring film maker..so i write it according to movie format not as in article format..but if you wants it in article format i can write down again but it takes some days..

  32. @Dushyant
    May I humbly request you to please do NOT spoil this blog with your aspiring (outrageously) open requests about your work. In your 1st comment you wrote that you believe Shekhar is the most sensible person on earth, and you wanna follow him. Then START being sensible from here, This is not NAUKRI.COM, no sensible person would do what you are doing here. If every body starts doing this then it will defeat the sole purpose of this blog.

    Hope You Gonna understand…

  33. Dear Shekhar sir,first of all i apologizes for my previous comment..i always believe that you are the most sensible person on the planet earth and for your this quality i truely admired you..but sir i am not spoiling your blog,my age is just 22 years so sir let me forgive for my previous mistake..it will never happen again..thats my gentle promise to you..

    Sir,neither i want any break in so called mumbai film industry on behalf of this blog nor i need any chance or opportunity..since earlier i said that i am doing all this with out any expectations because i struggled a lot in mumbai but i failed every time..so i stop expecting from others now i am only expecting from god..that one day god would listen me..

    But sir regarding aspiring film maker term,its my burning desire to put down all my imigination,sensibility to screen where i can show how poor farmars are struggling ..and i know that only you and anurag sir can do justice with my script..i am not promoting my script..but i just want to show it to you,i am asking how can i send it to you,i mean by mail,by post ?i am just a film buff and not a writer so i am completely unable to registered it to FWA..i tried but i fail to registered it..but i cant hand over it to any other film maker except you and anurag sir..Anurag sir asked me to first registered it but i failed to registered it..

    so sir being your genuine fan i dont need any break on behalf of you but its my dream that i want to see my script on big screen..thats why i used aspiring film maker..
    phir bhi sir koi galti ho gayi ho ya jaane anjane me maine aapka dil dhukaya ho to beta samaj kar maaf kar dena..

    regards
    Dushyant sharma

  34. Dear Shekhar sir,this is a passage from ramgopal varma blog regarding water problem issue-

    a similar thing that happened to me with my cousin who used to look after my productions a long time back. He had a fad for ecological issues and environmental protection matters and one day as we were driving together he was telling me with a great deal of concern that there will be water wars in about 50 years and he was very worried about what would be the earths status then and what will happen to the people when they start fighting for water.

    I told him that, we could die at the next turn of this road hit by a truck in an accident so lets not worry about water problems after 50 years. Frankly, I dont care what happens to the earth one second after I die and I also know that no way I am going to live anywhere near another 50 years. But if you really are concerned about the people 50 years from now facing shortage of water then instead of wasting time on film production activities you should work on a scientific solution and if you dont have the education and brains for that you should opt for a cheaper and an easier solution like praying to a God or a Baba. On the other hand if you just keep worrying your entire life about that impending problem and then just one day before you die if some smartass scientist comes up with a mind blowing solution for the water problem you would have lived your entire life like an idiotass who lived his life worrying about a non-issue.

    After I bestowed upon him my above wisdom he became completely quiet and I thought I enlightened him but then after 4 days I overheard him telling the same concern of his to a girl that 50 years from now there will be water wars.

    It was then that a burst of some more additional wisdom dawned upon me and I got enlightened to the fact that my cousin and many like him are incapable of getting in any new knowledge into their heads. That happens because my cousin kind of species are so full of their own locked in programmed belief systems and so they do not have an ability to absorb any more growth. So no amount of logic can get their stupidity out. Even if we somehow manage to get their stupidity out only a vacuum will remain in their heads and then they will have no identity left and because of that they will either violently defend their belief systems when they can get away with it or just go completely quiet when they cant get away with it.

    RAM GOPAL VARMA

  35. THIS IS FOR YOU SHEKHAR SIR-

    Palkon me kaid kuch sapne hain,kuch begane kuch apne hain..
    na jaane kya kashish hain in khayalon mein..
    kuch log humse dur hoke bhi kitne apne hain..

  36. SHORT STORY-

    A man saw a small and poor boy looking at his beautiful and luxury car,he offered the boy a ride,after the drive

    the boy said your car is so marvellous,it must be very expensive…how much does it cost?

    man-i dont know,my brother has gifted it to me,
    boy-wow! so nice of him..

    man-i know what you are thinking,you also want a brother like him..

    boy-NO I WANT TO BE A BROTHER LIKE HIM..

  37. Sharath,
    I see you have a blog and I’ll address your questions there, sicne this is Shekars blog and not a discussion forum.
    Thanks
    Mj

  38. Behold the good and the just! Whom do they hate most? The man who breaks up their tables of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker. He however is the Creator.

    Behold the believers of all beliefs! Whom do they hate most? The man who breaks up their tables of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker. He however is the Creator.

    Companions I seek not corpses, not herds, not believers. Fellow creators I seek those who could write new values on new tables.

    Fellow harvesters I seek, for everything about me is ripe for harvest. But I lack the hundred sickles. Companions I seek such as who know how to whet their sickles.

    To my goal I will go in my own way; over those who hesitate and lag behind I shall leap. Thus my going will be their downgoing.

    Friedrich Nietzsche (Thus Spake Zarathustra)..

  39. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p301w5H8xOI

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmH29K_ky6A

    DEAR SHEKHAR SIR HERE I AM POSTING MY TWO SHORT FILMS OF 1 MINUTE ON PARANORMAL ACTIVITY..EARLIER IN YOUR CONTACT PROFILE I ASK YOU THAT IS THAT NECESSARY TO GO TO FILM SCHOOL FOR LEARNING ABCD OF FILMS..

    PERSONALLY I THINK THAT FILM MAKING IS AN INDIVIDUAL STYLE OF STORY TELLING ..IT DEPENDS ON PERSON TO PERSON THAT HOW IT FEELS,OBSERVES AND REACTS TOWARDS THE THINGS WHICH ARE HAPPENING IN THE SOCIETY,COUNTRY,WORLD..
    AND NONE OF THE INSTITUTE CAN REALLY TEACH YOU FILM MAKING..YES YOU CAN LEARN EDITING,COMPOSING,MASS PRODUCTION,RECORDING AND SO CALLED TERMS BUT REGARDING FILM MAKING IT REALLY DEPENDS ON YOU THAT HOW YOU IMAGINE THE THINGS?HOW IS YOUR VISUALISATION AND AFTER ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IS HOW YOU NARRATE THE IDEA TO YOUR TEAM..BETTER THE NARRATION,BETTER THE PERFORMANCE..

    SIR MY SHORT FILMS ARE JUST SHOOT BY SIMPLE CAMERA..AS I AM NEVER FROM ANY SO CALLED FILM INSTITUTE SO I DONT KNOW ANY ABCD OF CAMERA ANGLE ETC SO I JUST SHOOT IT THE WAY I LIKE..
    I JUST WANT TO KNOW YOUR RESPONSE WITH OUT ANY EXPECTATIONS,SIR IF YOU RESPOND THAN IT WOULD BE THE MOST PLEASURABLE MOMENT FOR ME IN MY ENTIRE LIFE..

  40. Shekhar sir,may be my previous comment can irritate you because i posted my two short films on the blog..i know your blog is not for this but once Ram gopal varma sir said that in order to prove your talent you can make a movie even with your cell phone..
    my intension is to just bring my imagination infront of you..

    regards..
    Dushyant

  43. the thread has just lost its purpose.. no offense but people shud understand what we are here for! i dont think anybody is willing to discuss abt water crisis here further! after seeing 5-6 posts of utter non-sense!

    coming back to the topic.. as in my previous comment i said, this is possibly the future of not just mumbai or india.. but entire world! people are dying in africa alrdy coz of water crisis.. we are all ready aware of the water mafia in mumbai! but instead of talking abt how empty our future is, we shud try making sure that this doesnt happen.. its summer, need of water all arund now.. all we can ask is to utilise it well. save water. save us.

    chaitanya kulkarni (A.D)
    chait.kulkarni@gmail.com

  44. @chaitanya kulkarni

    please read comment number 33 ..i copy and paste it from rgv blog

  47. Vow

    It happened to be the day

    Mothers Day

    While Wishing All the mothers and would be mothers

  48. Check the May 10 Mumbai Edition of Indian Express for this story about a peon’s daughter who cleared the IAS, and how she was inspired by Udaan.

    Left a twitter msg as well, apologies for spamming.

  49. @chaitanya…read the article which i posted from rgv blog..may it would open your gates of mind..cheers

  50. ok the post wid abusive languages is not mind.. unfortunatly there is another profile with the same name! people get over it! GROW UP!

    @dushyant, yes i read rgv’s post over water crisis.. all i can say is that maybe he is among the few who mite survive during the water war..coz of the riches.. we cant asume a solution to water crisis will jst come in a minute! its a process, which we are in it right now!

    chaitanya kulkarni (A.D)
    chait.kulkarni@gmail.com

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