One person has died after the police lathi-charged hundreds of people protesting against water cuts in Mumbai. Doctors say the protestor who died suffered minor injuries in the lathi-charge, and was rushed to hospital, where he died of a heart attack.

The protests were led by Congress leader Narayan Rane's son, Nitesh Rane; he was arrested along with 23 others, but has been released on bail.

The rally, consisting mainly of Rane's supporters, blocked the road outside the city's Civic Headquarters, opposite the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The police claims that the crowd was 5000-people strong and was trying to force their way into the Headquarters when the police intervened.

Currently, Mumbai is dealing with 15 per cent water cuts, which were announced after a poor monsoon. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has not announced any new cuts, but the Congress wants the current water cuts to be withdrawn.

Mumbai's Municipal Corporation is governed by the Shiv Sena, which recently won the Mayor's election - this left the Congress embarrassed, and Thursday's water protests  were organized in an attempt to recover some lost ground.

In a meeting with municipal officials before the lathi-charge, Nitish Rane demanded that water cuts be reduced  from 15 per cent to 10 per cent.  Sources say the meeting was a cordial one; and that Rane was told that if water cuts were slashed, the coming summer would see a serious water crisis.