Forget Bank OTPs, Mumbai's Next One Could Be For Your Water Tanker! Steps On How You May Have To Book
Forget Bank OTPs, Mumbai's Next One Could Be For Your Water Tanker! Steps On How You May Have To Book Published By, Edited By Last
Forget Bank OTPs, Mumbai's Next One Could Be For Your Water Tanker! Steps On How You May Have To Book Published By, Edited By Last Updated: June 11, 2026, 13:47 IST With lake levels dropping and Mumbai under a 10 per cent water cut, the BMC is moving fast — and cracking down on unauthorised tanker trips is its most immediate fix. BMC controls 33 water filling points citywide, supplying its own fleet and over 200 licensed tankers. The BMC is planning to overhaul how Mumbaikars book water tankers, introducing an OTP-based digital system to curb unauthorised trips and bring transparency to the city’s potable water supply chain. The move comes as Mumbai reels under a 10 per cent water cut amid depleting lake levels. The civic body currently controls 33 potable water filling points across the city, through which water is supplied to its own fleet of tankers as well as over 200 licensed tankers. Under the present system, a single permit allows tankers to make multiple trips — a loophole the BMC says it wants to shut. The new policy seeks to change that through online approvals, OTP-based bookings and a live digital portal to monitor every tanker movement, modelled closely on BMC’s existing stormwater drain desilting dashboard.
What Is The BMC’s Existing Desilting Dashboard, And Why Does It Matter Here? BMC’s stormwater drain desilting system is the template for the proposed tanker portal. The civic body has been using an AI model to monitor stormwater drain desilting work by contractors, requiring them to upload geo-tagged photos and videos before, during and after desilting operations, along with live site locations. Payments are withheld if AI verification fails. The BMC saved around Rs 15 crore through this system, which was built by a BMC-appointed agency at a cost of approximately Rs 25 lakh. A similar live dashboard is available for citizens to track desilting progress. The tanker portal, officials told the Indian Express, will work on the same principle — permissions granted digitally, extraction monitored in real time. How Will The OTP System Work For Residents Ordering Water Tankers? Based on what BMC officials have described to IE, here is how the process is expected to work once the policy is in place Step What happens 1. Apply online Housing societies or individuals apply for a water tanker through BMC’s digital portal 2. Approval granted BMC reviews and approves the request; permission is issued digitally 3. OTP sent to customer A one-time password is sent to the registered customer’s mobile number 4.
Tanker fills water Tanker extracts water from BMC’s filling point only on valid OTP — one OTP, one trip 5. Digital monitoring Approvals, water extracted and tanker movement tracked live on a portal Why Is BMC Introducing This Now? The timing is tied directly to the city’s worsening water situation. Mumbai is currently under a 10 per cent water cut due to low lake levels. A BMC official was quoted as saying that with IMD revising its monsoon forecast to 90 per cent of the long-period average, the civic body is also preparing for the possibility of below-average rainfall over lake catchment areas. Cracking down on unauthorised tanker trips is seen as an immediate measure to prevent misuse of already stretched water resources. What Is The Problem With The Current System? At present, filling point in-charges maintain manual registers, recording meter readings daily and tallying them against water supplied. But once a challan is issued, a tanker can make multiple trips on the same permit. The new OTP system would make each permission valid for a single extraction, closing the door on repeat unauthorised trips. What About Non-Potable Water Tankers? The BMC’s new policy covers only potable water tankers — the civic fleet and over 200 licensed operators.
Non-potable water tankers, operated by the Mumbai Water Tanker Association (MWTA), are a separate category. The MWTA, whose tankers extract water from privately-owned wells and supply between 200 MLD and 2,000 MLD to residential, industrial and commercial units, launched an indefinite strike on June 8, adding further pressure on the city’s water supply. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers,... Read More First Published: June 11, 2026, 13:47 IST News cities mumbai-news Forget Bank OTPs, Mumbai's Next One Could Be For Your Water Tanker! Steps On How You May Have To Book Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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