Mumbai has enough water for next 12 months

Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) The seven lakes and reservoirs supplying drinking water to Mumbai are almost full and the storage is the highest in the past three years, an official spokesperson of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said here on Monday.

This year, Mumbai has 1,301,984 million litres (ml) water (90 per cent) available as compared to 1,218,692 ml (84 per cent) in 2018 and 1,255,992 ml (87 per cent) in 2017.

Nevertheless, the storage this year is still around 10 per cent low as compared to brimful capacity of the lakes - 1,447,363 ml. But officials were hopeful that this would covered in the remaining period of the monsoon.

A Water Department official added that with judicious usage, the supply can comfortably last up to September 2020 without any cuts.

The water collection was possible after the torrential rains during June end, most of July and early August, despite a delayed onset of monsoon, he added.

The current water levels in the lakes-reservoirs on Monday are: Upper Vaitarna 602.60 metres (603.51 Full Level), Middle Vaitarna 282.20 metres (285 FL), Modak Sagar 163.31 (163.15 FL) and Tansa 128.66 metres (128.63 FL).

In Bhatsa, the current level is 138.34 metres (142.07 FL), Vehar lake 80.59 metres (80.12 FL) and Tulsi lake 139.39 metres (139.17 FL), said the BMC.

Last year, the BMC had imposed an unprecedented 10 per cent water cut from mid-November 2018 in view of deficient rains in Mumbai and in the catchment areas of these seven lakes/reservoirs which quench the thirst of the huge population.

However, following this year's bountiful rains last month and demands by elected representatives, the cut was withdrawn in mid-July.

Rain continued to lash parts of Thane, Raigad, Palghar and Ratnagiri on Monday, though its fury subsided in Mumbai.

Anticipating a deluge, the state government had allowed government servants to report to work late on Monday, or skip if it was not possible to commute from homes to offices.

Authorities in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Nashik and Pune have declared a precautionary holiday for schools and colleges to avoid inconveniencing students.