The alarmingly scanty rainfall received during the current monsoon, coupled with the fast depleting storage levels in the lakes supplying water to Mumbai, prompted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to impose a 20 per cent cut in water supply to Mumbai from Wednesday midnight.
After reviewing the existing shortage levels in various lakes supplying water to the city, the BMC’s standing Committee in the evening decided to impose a 20 per cent cut in water supplies to people living in various parts of the city from midnight onwards. The BMC’s announcement about 20 per cent cut in water supply came on a day when heavy rains lashed the city, inundating the low-lying areas and railway tracks at several places, affecting the road traffic and suburban train services.
Though the island city and suburbs registered 10 mm and 180.8 mm rainfall respectively, there was scanty rainfall in the catchment areas of the seven lakes lakes supplying water to the metropolis. During 24 hours ending at 8.30 am, the catchment areas had collectively received a rainfall of mere 39 mm.
In all, seven lakes – Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vehar, Tulsi, Upper Vaitarana, Bhatsa and Middle Viatarana – cater to the needs of Mumbaikars.Of them, the useful content in three lakes – Vehar, Upper Vaitarana and Middle Vaitrana – has exhausted totally, while the water levels in four other lakes –Modak Sagar, Tansa, Tulsi and Bhatsa – have gone down substantially during the recent days.
At 8.30 am on Wednesday morning, water storage in four lakes, which currently supply water to the city, was 1.11 lakh million litres (enough to last only till July 24) as compared to 4.16 lakh million litres last year.“After 10 days, we will review the storage levels in lakes supplying water to the city and take a call on continuing with or rolling back the cut in water supply. Meanwhile, we request Mumbaikars to make judicious use of available water,” a senior BMC official said.