After much deliberation the BMC’s “water for all” policy was announced by CM Uddhav Thackeray at the Maasaheb Meenatai Thackeray garden, Goregaon, on Saturday. Experts say that the new policy is far more flexible than the earlier one from 2016.

As per the new policy, water connection will be granted for all residences, as a general rule, without prejudice. Slums without authorised drainage systems will not need an NOC for a water connection. The connection will, however, be only granted to groups of hutments dwellers—preferably not less than 15 hutments. The policy specifies that the connection won’t be extended to individual hutments in one group, except where all members of the group apply in writing for such extension. Drainage facility will have to be arranged by the applicants at their cost.