Western Railway Seeks Rs 3.95 Billion Fee for BMC Water Pipelines

03 Jul 2025 CW Team

Western Railway has invoiced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for Rs 3.95 billion in Right of Way (RoW) licence fees covering a ten year period for underground water pipelines laid beneath railway land across Mumbai. The demand, disclosed through an RTI query by railway activist Samir Zaveri, requires payment in advance.

These pipelines deliver filtered drinking water to millions of residents. Railway officials have based the charge on current market values of the land above the pipes, a valuation that has astonished civic authorities and policy experts.

Zaveri points out that BMC supplies water at only five paise per litre—among the most heavily subsidised rates in India—and argues that treating essential services as revenue streams undermines public welfare and inter governmental collaboration. He has appealed to the Ministry of Railways for a waiver or steep reduction, warning that the precedent could hinder other civic schemes needing to cross railway property.

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