NAVI MUMBAI: While Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) celebrates its dams overflowing this monsoon, environmentalists warn the situation is misleading, as no desilting has been carried out for over a decade. Information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveals that Morbe Dam, the city’s primary water source, has never been desilted since it began operations in 1999.

Located on the Dhavari river, which carries heavy silt from surrounding mountains and plains, Morbe Dam supplies 450 million litres of water daily to Navi Mumbai. In response to RTI queries by the NatConnect Foundation, Deputy Engineer Maruti Ambedkar confirmed that the dam has not undergone desilting since its transfer to NMMC.

NatConnect director B N Kumar pointed out that the Union government has acknowledged in Parliament that silt accumulation in reservoirs reduces storage capacity, affecting long-term water supply. Although Navi Mumbai is currently secure in terms of drinking water, its growing population and rapid redevelopment could trigger future shortages, he warned.

The revelation follows Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) admission that no desilting has been done in Vihar, Tulsi, Modak Sagar, Tansa and Middle Vaitarna lakes for ten years. Despite reservoirs appearing to overflow during monsoons, water cuts persist in summer, leading residents to depend on private water tankers. This has fuelled the growth of a multi-crore tanker mafia, activists alleged.

Kumar said he was shocked to learn from the Urban Development Department (UDD) that it has no record of desilting operations, despite being responsible for monitoring essential services like water supply.

The Central Pollution Control Board has previously highlighted that siltation, reduced reservoir capacity, and inadequate flood protection contribute to flooding in metros like Mumbai and Chennai, underscoring the urgent need for proper water body management.