Mumbai, Nov. 12 -- When 864 families received the keys to their new apartments in the redeveloped Naigaon BDD Chawl complex from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during a glittering ceremony on March 16 this year, the buildings did not have an active water connection, according to documents accessed by residents under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The documents, obtained from the hydraulic engineering (HE) department of the BMC and seen by HT, also showed a series of lapses in securing a pipeline connection to ensure adequate water supply for the newly built complex, which comprises eight high-rise buildings. The Naigaon BDD Chawl redevelopment project, being executed by Mhada, is one of the biggest rehabilitation initiatives of the Maharashtra government. Under the project, thousands of eligible families are being moved from 160-sq-ft rooms in century-old, low-rise chawls to new 500-sq-ft flats in high-rises. However, as previously reported by HT, residents have been grappling with a severe water crisis since at least May. The shortage intensified as families began moving into their new homes and occupancy steadily rose across the five towers completed so far under phase 1 of the project. The distribution of keys of the remaining 537 flats under phase 1, began on June 5. The RTI documents show that on March 16, the day of the key distribution ceremony, inspections and remarks by the BMC's water department indicated that Mhada's application for a water connection was still pending. An official note dated March 20 also recorded that only two common underground water tanks had been built for the entire complex-one serving towers 1 to 4 and the other towers 5 to 8. Frustrated by recurring complaints of inadequate supply and low water pressure, residents recently filed an RTI application seeking details of the project's water requirements, supply infrastructure and arrangements made to meet the demand. "The documents of water connection application by Mhada points to gross negligence and a failure to comply with key conditions of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted by the HE department for phase 1," said Vishal Mohite, a member of the ad hoc housing committee. The documents also flagged low pressure in the existing 150-mm-diameter water pipeline from which connections to the complex were initially proposed. Recognising this, the HE department had suggested redesigning the connection for towers 1 to 4. "As there is low pressure in the 150 mm diameter water main at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Road, it is proposed to redesign the water connection for Towers 1 to 4 from Govindji Keni Marg," the document reads. Civic officials said the 150 mm pipeline was old and already services multiple other localities. "That is why we advised them to lay an internal water main from a separate pipeline. This was not done. As occupancy increased, residents expectedly began complaining about severe water shortages," said a BMC official. Despite these warnings, Mhada and the BMC went ahead and executed two connections directly into the existing low pressure water main in May and June, the documents revealed. According to the plan submitted by Mhada to the BMC, the complex was supposed to receive 643,000 litres of water daily. However, records show that actual supply was 400,000 to 450,000 litres a day. On some days, it fell to 300,000 litres due to regional water cuts and compounding low pressure. Following persistent complaints, protests and political interventions, Mhada finally began deploying water tankers in July to bridge the deficit. Civic officials said the NOCs issued by the HE department in June 2025 and August 2026 required the developer to lay an internal water main at the complex's access point at its own expense, and commission it before an occupation certificate (OC) could be issued. The terms clearly stated that water supply would only be provisioned after this condition was met, said a BMC official. However, this clause was allegedly bypassed, and both the BMC and Mhada proceeded with an inadequate connection. A Mhada official denied the allegations, saying the authority had secured the required 100-mm water connections from the BMC well before handing over possession of the flats. "The keys of 864 tenements in towers 4 to 8 were handed over on March 16 after completion of the water connections and cleaning and chlorination of the water storage tanks. Subsequently, the remaining 537 tenements were handed over from June onwards. Presently, all 1,401 tenements are receiving water through two sanctioned 100 mm BMC connections," the official said, requesting anonymity. A second Mhada official, however, acknowledged the water shortage and said the authority was working to resolve it....