Mumbai rain: Water stock in 7 lakes nears 99%, BMC says water cut unlikely next season

The daily water needs of Mumbai are met by the seven lakes, including Upper Vaitarna, Tansa, Tulsi, Modak Sagar, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, and Vehar lakes situated in Mumbai, Thane, and Nashik districts.

Records furnished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) showed that on Tuesday, the total stock in these lakes touched 14.30 lakh million litres, accounting for 98.82 per cent of their total capacity.

When 100 per cent full, the seven lakes cumulatively have a capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres.

While the lake levels have been hovering at 98 per cent over the past few days, the heavy showers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region over the weekend spurred the lake levels to the highest point of 2025 on Tuesday morning.

With each one per cent of water stock sufficient to meet the city’s needs for three days, the current stock will sustain Mumbai for the next 300 days, stated BMC. Given the sufficient stock in the reservoirs and more monsoon showers expected, the civic body stated that a water cut is unlikely in the next season.

According to data, last year, on the same day, the lake levels had touched 98.71 per cent, while in 2023, the water stock remained at 96.98 per cent.

Owing to a historic early onset of monsoon this year and above-normal rainfall in May, the lakes replenished earlier than usual, surpassing the 70 per cent mark as early as July. It was as early as July 9 that the first lake, Modak Sagar, filled to the brim and overflowed.

However, after a dry spell that resulted in insufficient rainfall in June and July, the lake levels stagnated at around 80 per cent for an extended period. It wasn’t until the heavy rains in August that they received a significant boost.