Water stock in Mumbai will last only for 45 days, reveals BMC data

P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (Projects) said that every one per cent of water is equivalent to three days of water usage of Mumbai.

Mumbai draws its daily water supply from seven different lakes — Tansa, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Tulsi, Vehar, Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna. Most of these lakes are located in the outskirts of Mumbai and neighbouring districts like Thane, Bhiwandi and Nashik.

During monsoon, the catchment areas of these lakes get filled up and water from these lakes are supplied in the city and suburbs of Mumbai through tunnels and water pipelines.

The BMC on June 8 had to draw water from the reserve after the overall capacity in all the seven lakes dropped below seven per cent. The reserve stock is an additional quantum of water that is stored inside dams for adversities or inadequate rains. The civic body had written to the irrigation department in March, seeking permission to access 1.5 lakh million litre of water from the reserves.

“At present, the water stock of Mumbai stands little over 15 per cent, which means that there is adequate storage for the next one month. Rainfall is expected to arrive by the end of June, after which we will again review the situation and may take a call on whether water cuts need to be implemented in the city,” Velrasu told reporters Thursday.

Last year, the civic body had implemented a 10 per cent water cut between June and July, after stocks depleted below 10 per cent. Before that, a 10 per cent water cut was implemented in August 2020 owing to poor rains.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the advancement of monsoon in Mumbai and its adjoining districts between June 18 and 21. The official onset of monsoon in Mumbai is between June 10 and 11, however, officials said that cyclone Biparjoy, which has developed in the Arabian Sea, has delayed the monsoon by diverting the moisture.