Mumbai University to drill wells, borewells to tackle water scarcity issue at Kalina Campus

The University of Mumbai is going to take big steps towards addressing the long-standing water scarcity issues at the campus in Kalina located at Santacruz. The Mumbai university (MU) has set aside INR 25 crore in its 2024–25 budget to meet the demands of its dormitories and make sure of water sustainability.

The water scarcity has particularly impacted the hostels, leading to student protests last April. The students have also lodged complaints with the authorities. The shortage has affected not only the hostels but also several department buildings. This has resulted in unsanitary conditions in the restrooms.

To deal with this, MU currently relies on three to five water tankers daily, costing INR 12,000–15,000 per day or INR 2.5 lakh per month. Now, the Management Council (MC) has planned the excavation of five wells and six borewells. The MC is also in talks with authorities to secure more water connections and is implementing on-site water conservation measures.

According to sources, there are plans for rainwater harvesting and perennial water supply systems. The university is also considering building four additional wells. A large-scale tree planting campaign is planned to raise the water table, and a 10,000-litre sewage treatment plant is already operational at the Kalina campus. Plans are underway to increase its capacity and connect it to more buildings for irrigation purposes.

Over the past 15 years, construction has increased on the campus, but the municipality's water supply has not kept pace. This issue has affected the living conditions in the dormitories and imposed many difficulties on the institution. However, approvals have been secured for water provision to four new buildings, and pipeline construction is in progress. Additionally, the tender process has begun for the construction of the girls' hostel mess, which is currently not operational.

The Kalina campus was started more than half a century ago but is still dealing with issues of water supply. The campus is spread over 243 acres and comprises 66 buildings. They include residential, educational, administrative, and hostel spaces.

Currently, only 6 lakh litres of the campus's daily requirement of 78 million litres are supplied due to the municipality's reduced water hours. Efforts are ongoing to restore the authorised 9 lakh-litre water supply.