Water Shortage - one serious problem About a quarter century ago we did not face any water shortage and problems related to it. The villagers were happy with the rivers, wells and lakes and the city folk were satisfied with the piped water which was available without restriction. The Prime cause for water shortage is our population explosion. To meet the river increasing population, more buildings, preferably multi-storeyed ones and colonies had to be built. Our source of water in the city are the lakes such as Vaitarna, Vihar, Powai and Tulsi. These lakes get filled and even overflow during the rainny reason. A scanty rainfall will result in water shortage for the city of Mumbai. The factories, industries, big buildings, schools, colleges, hospitals, swimming pools, parks and fountains - all need water. The municipal Corporation is partial to certain localities. There is no equitable supply of water. It must be admitted that many housewives and domestic servanta keep the tap running when not in use. This shows our irresponsibility and lack of thought for others. Mumbai has a large population of slum and pavements dwellers. They waste water thoughtlessly and sometimes cause a breach in the pipeline. They know well to make hay when the sun shines. To meet the needs of a bursting population, builders have raised buildings all over the country side. They promise 24 hour water supply to attract customers to buy flats and shops in the new colonies. They pinch water from the nearby villages. Water tankers regularly draw water from the wells and the poor villagers face terriable water shortage, affecting even the livelihood of farmers. Nobody is moved by the feeble voice of the simple village folk. One of the most effective solutions to this problem will be to stop making any discrimination between the posh, elite lacalities of the affluent society and the areas occupied by middle class people. The slum dwellers' activities must be watched and controlled by some special vigilant force. In my opinion, if wastage of water is checked, we should have enough water in spite of the teeming population.