Mumbai is set to face a fresh water challenge as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a 10 per cent cut in water supply across the city starting Friday, May 15. The civic body said the decision was taken because water levels in the lakes supplying Mumbai have dropped sharply, while weather experts are warning of a weaker monsoon this year.
Officials, however, appealed to citizens not to panic and assured that water is being distributed carefully to avoid a bigger crisis in the coming weeks.
Reservoir levels raise concern ahead of monsoon
According to the BMC, the current usable water stock in Mumbai’s reservoirs is only around 23.5 per cent of the city’s yearly requirement. At present, the lakes together hold about 340,399 million litres of water, while Mumbai needs over 1.4 million million litres annually.
The civic body said it is closely monitoring the situation every day and taking preventive steps early so that the city does not face severe shortages later.
Weak monsoon forecast adds to worry
One of the biggest reasons behind the decision is the fear of poor rainfall this year. The BMC said weather conditions linked to El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole could weaken the upcoming monsoon season.
In its statement, the civic body urged residents to avoid wasting water and use it carefully until the situation improves.
To manage the crisis, additional water reserves will now be released from the Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarna dams. Around 147,092 million litres will come from Bhatsa Dam reserves, while another 90,000 million litres will be supplied from Upper Vaitarna.
Officials described the water cut as a precautionary move aimed at ensuring Mumbai has enough supply until rainfall improves reservoir levels.
Nearby areas also affected
The 10 per cent reduction will also impact areas that receive water through Mumbai’s supply network, including Thane, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and nearby villages.
The restrictions will continue until there is enough rainfall and water levels return to safer levels. The latest announcement comes just days after several parts of Mumbai faced a 30-hour water shutdown earlier this month due to maintenance work under the city’s water supply project.
