Mumbai stares at summer water shock: BMC plans cuts as Monsoon fears deepen
With lake levels below 30% and an El Niño-driven weak monsoon looming, Mumbai could face 5–15% water cuts from May raising fears of a looming supply crunch if rains don’t arrive in time.
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) projecting ‘below normal’ southwest monsoon for 2026, owing to the El niño weather pattern, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to impose a water cut for Mumbai. Civic officials said that the water cut will be imposed to ensure that Mumbai’s existing water stock lasts till the end of August.
Being an island city, Mumbai doesn’t have its own source of water and is dependent on seven lakes – Tulsi, Vihar, Bhatsa, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna. These lakes are located in suburban Mumbai and at the satellite districts of Thane, Nashik and Palghar. During monsoon every year, the catchment areas of these lakes get filled and throughout the year the water is supplied to Mumbai’s residential pockets and establishments for potable usage.
According to the civic body’s data, the combined capacity of all the seven lakes stands at 14,47,363 million liters and on Monday (April 27), the overall stock stood at 28.79 per cent or 4,16,714 million liters. The BMC supplies 3,850 million liters daily (MLD) to Mumbai against an overall demand of 4,300 MLD, leaving a deficit of 250 MLD.
Civic officials said that if water is supplied in full capacity the stock will last only till the end of July. During an El Niño phase, the months of June, July and August usually record much lesser rainfall, while the overall heat levels increase.
“Usually, the lakes start to get replenished by the end of June and reach its full capacity by August. Therefore a water cut is being planned to ensure that the current stock lasts at least till August end, also because of the heat, the rate of evaporation will also be faster. By the time the rainfall picks by that time we don’t have a water crisis in the city,” an official told the Indian Express. The official maintained that initially the civic body is eyeing to impose a water cut between 5%-15% which will come into effect likely from May 1 and the announcement for the same will be made within this week.
“If good rainfall doesn’t occur between August and July, then there will be a serious crisis for Mumbai,” the official added.
Meanwhile, owing to the receding lake levels, the civic body has been imposing water cut consistently for the past few weeks. In July, 2023, the BMC had imposed a 10 per cent cut after the lake levels fell below 10 per cent due to inadequate rainfall. The same year, BMC had approached the state government asking for an additional quota of water from state control reserves, citing emergencies.
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Later, in May, 2024, a 10 per cent cut was again imposed after the water stock in lake levels fell below 10 per cent.
What is El Niño
El Niño is a climate phenomenon where sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean become unusually warm. It is part of a larger system called the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has two main phases, El Niño (warming phase) and La Niña (cooling phase).
El Niño weakens the southwest monsoon winds and leads to below average monsoon in India. Earlier, weak monsoon years like 2015 and 2023 had El Niño influence.
Meanwhile, this year Mumbai is also witnessing extreme heat conditions and the city has already witnessed heatwaves multiple times between the months of March and April.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
