Morbe Dam- Navi Mumbai own 24 x 7 Water Supply Source.

21.03.09,
NAVI MUMBAI will soon become the only connection which will supply 24 x 7 Water Supply to General Public. The work of laying water pipeline to connect Morbe Dam to Navi Mumbai is over. The city that seems to have been waiting forever for getting 24 X 7 water supply might have reason to rejoice soon as the city water woes will be washed away with Morbe water. That too at a time when neighbouring like Thane and Mumbai still are miles away from any such relief despite spending Thousands of Crores in the name of water supply.

October 2002– The month when the proposal to buy the Morbe Dam was first presented to NMMC general body meeting. It was said that developing the dam would cost NMMC Rs. 253 Crores. The then Municipal Commissioner Sunil Soni had promised that the water rates would not change if NMMC decided to go ahead and acquire Morbe Dam.
• 2002 NOVEMBER- He has always been criticized for the delay in the Morbe Dam project and so he’ll deserve every bit of appreciation when Morbe waters reaches the taps of Navi Mumbai homes. It was in the year 2002, that like a one man army first Mayor Dr. Sanjeev Naik, after having settled on the seat of the first citizen, called for a press conference. This was the first time that he announced his plans of promoting the idea of buying Morbe Dam for Navi Mumbai. Speaking to the media at that time, Dr. Sanjeev Naik had assured of clean and pure 24 hours water supply to Navi Mumbaikars from Morbe Dam.

• 2002 DECEMBER- In December 2002, the then Dy. Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chagan Bhujbal too had appreciated NMMC’s decision to buy Morbe Dam during the annual property exhibition. He had said that this decision would result in water to Navi Mumbai for 15 years.
• 2004 MARCH- The opposition continued to voice reservations against the Morbe Dam project until finally first Mayor Dr. Sanjeev Naik led NCP corporators convinced the weak alliance that the decision would be a boon to Navi Mumbaikars in the long run. Eventually, the same year the NMMC allocated Rs. 50 Crores in the budget to buy Morbe Dam.
• 2004 NOVEMBER- Later the same year, first Mayor Dr. Sanjeev Naik called for a press conference to announce that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar would officially hand over the 1st phase of the Rs. 553 Crores Morbe Dam to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
• 2004 NOVEMBER- Later the same month, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar along with a galaxy of ministers performed a puja at the Morbe Dam site and then later in a grand ceremony, every leader promised 24X7 water supply from Morbe waters that was a blessing to Navi Mumbai

• 2007 FEBRUARY- From 2004 to 2007, the Morbe Dam water pipeline connectivity project went on in a snail pace speed till Commissioner Vijay Nahata took charge as the city chief. In the Commissioner, the NMMC got the right force to execute the project. However, during the same year the media and your channel reported on the sub standard and poor quality of pipeline work that was being done by NMMC to connect Morbe Dam from Kalamboli to Digha. Every report was taken in the right spirit by the NMMC administration to focus on bettering the project.
• 2008 MARCH- Finally, it was in March 2008 that the NMMC came close to keeping its word of 24X7 water supply, as Morbe water reached Vashi. Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik and first Mayor Dr. Sanjeev Naik along with others opened the tap to Morbe water till Vashi and celebrated this achievement for NMMC. At that time, Media caught up with the man behind the project – first Mayor Dr. Sanjeev Naik who evidently was elated.

• 2008 MAY- And not surprisingly, Morbe Dam went high on the list of Dr. Sanjeev Naik’s election campaigning for the Belapur by elections in May 2008. Senior NCP leaders knew that it is not everyday that a leader as young as Dr. Sanjeev Naik comes up with the visionary decision of a city owning a dam and that is why every leader who campaigned for Dr. Sanjeev Naik praised the first Mayor’s wise decision. However, of all praises, former Home Minister R R Patil’s speech was a testimony of why the credit for Morbe Dam goes to Dr. Sanjeev Naik.
• 2009 JANUARY- Early this year, reports of severe water crisis in neighboring cities like Mumbai and Thane started pouring in. Frustration and disgust in citizens against the corporation saw protests rallies and residents doing gherao of municipal officials in Thane and Mumbai. At the same time, both the cities started seeing how Navi Mumbai has gained with Morbe Dam to the extent that even MCGM Commissioner Dr. Jairaj Pathak was forced to publicly say that MCGM will solve water woes of Mumbai city from Morbe Dam.

• 2009 FEBRUARY- This month, under the headship of Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, a delegation of NMMC Officials and corporators along with Commissioner Vijay Nahata met State Water Supplies and Irrigation Minister Ajit Dada Pawar and pursued the subject of possession of Morbe Dam. Speaking about the meeting, Commissioner Vijay Nahata informed us that through the initiative of Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, they convinced Ajit Dada Pawar to make a government GR so that Morbe Dam can officially become the exclusive property of NMMC.Commissioner Vijay Nahata promised that work on Morbe would be completed by March.

• 2009 21, MARCH- And NMMC kept its March promise as the work on laying pipeline for Morbe Dam is over. Very soon NMMC will begin water testing work for the dam. Calling the Morbe Dam a big asset for NMMC, Commissioner Vijay Nahata says that they are also going to generate revenue from sale of Morbe Water. And Morbe Dam is not just going to solve water woes of Navi Mumbai and generate revenue but will also become a source of power generation. And to its credit, the Morbe Dam success story has even won recognition for Navi Mumbai at the National level – something that was endorsed by Thane Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik as well. The Morbe Dam water supply project of NMMC has won the 1st National Award for 24 X 7 water supply program by any municipal corporation in the country. The Government of India conferred the award on NMMC’s Morbe Dam as the best project for 24 X 7 water supply from 60 nominations from all over the country. Morbe Waters is all set to storm the taps of Navi Mumbai and quench the thirst of residents. While Summer 2009 will spell worst water crisis times for neighboring cities Mumbai and Thane, Navi Mumbai will write a different story. And when that happens – the man behind the Morbe Dam first Mayor Dr. Sanjeev Naik will be credited for making Morbe Dam – neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride.