With Morbe Dam at 84% Capacity, Civic Body Urges Residents to Save Water Amid Drought Concerns.

The Conservation

Amid concerns over a possible water shortage and the state government’s directive to reduce water supply by 10%, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is prioritizing conservation measures before introducing immediate cuts in regular supply.

The civic body is focusing on reducing water wastage, restricting supply to construction sites and encouraging the use of alternative water sources to preserve drinking water stocks for the coming months. Ravikant Patil, chairman of the NMMC Water Supply and Sewage Committee, said the administration is cleaning wells, installing pumps and providing water tanks in slum areas wherever possible. These measures will help residents use groundwater for non-drinking purposes.

The NMMC is also encouraging housing societies to use treated sewage water for activities such as car washing, toilet flushing and cleaning premises. Treated water can be supplied through tankers on request, helping reserve regular drinking water supplies for essential needs. According to figures dated October 28, 2026, Morbe Dam, owned by the NMMC, holds 133.295 million cubic metres (MCM) of water, equivalent to 84% of its live storage capacity. This is lower than the 97.09% recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Ravikant Patil said only around 64% of the available stock was usable for drinking purposes. He warned that supplies might last until the middle of next year only if water is used carefully. The possibility of El Niño could further increase concerns over future availability. The NMMC aims to sustain available water stocks until May 2027 and has appealed to citizens and housing societies to avoid wastage and adopt responsible water-use practices.

Inspection Highlights Infrastructure Gaps, Civic Officials Urged to Address Shortcomings Before Opening the Facility.

The Hospital

BJP corporator and advocate Bharti Patil is persistently following up on the early opening of the Lokmata Ahilyadevi Holkar Mother and Child Hospital in Sector 22, Koparkhairane. Despite the completion of the hospital building, residents are still waiting for the facility to become operational.

Recently, Mayor Sujata Patil and House Leader Sagar Naik joined Bharti Patil for an inspection of the hospital. During the visit, she highlighted several shortcomings in the infrastructure and urged officials to address them on priority. Bharti  Patil said Koparkhairane’s rapidly growing population has increased the demand for local healthcare facilities. At present, residents largely depend on Vashi Hospital for treatment, making the delay in opening the new hospital a major concern.

She pointed out that several rooms are too small for hospital operations, while narrow entrances could make it difficult to move patients on beds and wheelchairs. The labour room and operation theatre also require attention to ensure patients can receive proper treatment once the hospital becomes functional. Bharti Patil said she had raised these concerns with civic authorities earlier, including through a letter submitted to the municipal commissioner in August. She also stressed the need to increase manpower and review the building’s design.

She urged officials to study the deficiencies and make the necessary modifications before the hospital opens, warning that correcting structural problems after patients are admitted could prove difficult. The inspection aimed to bring these issues to the attention of civic authorities and speed up corrective action so that residents can access the long-awaited healthcare facility at the earliest.

Activists seek urgent notification of Conservation Reserve status and stronger protection for Nerul wetland.

The Criticism

Environmentalists have criticised the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) for describing DPS Flamingo Lake in Nerul as “vacant land” in a tender for a flamingo habitat study. They have urged the Maharashtra government to expedite the formal notification granting the ecologically sensitive wetland Conservation Reserve status. NatConnect Foundation has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that CIDCO’s description undermines the state wildlife board’s decision to declare the lake a Conservation Reserve. NatConnect director B N Kumar said the government resolution formalizing the status had reportedly been pending for nearly a year, according to a Forest Department response to a Right to Information (RTI) query.

Environmentalists have also questioned the need for another study. Rekha Shankhala of the Save Flamingos and Mangroves Forum urged authorities to publish findings from previous studies and clarify the status of the proposed reserve. Sandeep Sareen of the Navi Mumbai Environment Protection Society alleged that CIDCO had disregarded High Court rulings recognising the site as a wetland. He also claimed that the blocking of intertidal water flow had harmed the lake’s ecological character.

CIDCO’s tender, dated October 27, 2026, seeks an expert to study the flamingo habitat near DPS, Nerul, close to Navi Mumbai International Airport. The proposed study will run for six months, and eligible consultants must have experience in bird-hazard assessments at airports. Environmental groups have highlighted recommendations by the Bombay Natural History Society to protect wetlands around the airport, including DPS Flamingo Lake, NRI Lake and TS Chanakya Lake. They have called for prompt government action to secure the wetland’s long-term protection.