INNOVATION IN WATER, WASTEWATER, AND STORMWATER NETWORKS
Danang City, Vietnam
Government of Maharashtra, Water Supply and Sanitation Department
Crisis Management of Water Supply in Developing Countries
Maharashtra, India
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When a Supreme Court ruling restricted water distribution from the Krishna
River in the state of Maharashtra, India, water supply to the region was cut
off every Friday, affecting 17 million people in the Mumbai metropolitan area.
Although service was restored on Saturdays, it took up to 30 hours for water
to reach some areas. This situation caused civil unrest in 13 municipalities.
Amid daily media coverage of the angry mood of protestors and the vandalism
that resulted, the chief minister of the state directed the Maharashtra’s Water
Supply and Sanitation Department to take the necessary measures to mitigate
this crisis.
line. Various scenarios simulated these and other difficulties in the hydraulic
model to determine how best to re-engineer the system. The modeling was
accomplished quickly and efficiently. The solution involved several interlinks as
well as a revised schedule of valve operation. Corrective measures in the field
were taken under police protection.
2009 BE INSPIRED AWARDS
Using WaterGEMS, Bentley Map, and Bentley Water, the department
developed a hydraulic model that allowed engineers to locate the problem and
design a solution. They discovered that it took at least 14 hours to just refill the
water network after it was shut off. Operation of entire system was uneven,
with some low-lying areas drawing more water than the areas at the end of the
Had the crisis persisted, several thousand tankers would have been required to
supply water of questionable quality. Working day and night, the department
resolved the water crisis, much to the relief of the people, the media, and the
ministry. The Maharashtra Water Supply and Sanitation Department now
operates the entire system based on the new model derived from Bentley
technology. The department is embarking upon new schemes to reform the
water and sanitation sector, including improving service delivery by reducing
nonrevenue water, and increasing supply hours to 24x7.
