7 lakes, dams in Mumbai have water for just 42 days

Mumbai: The seven lakes and dams that are the source of drinking water in Mumbai have a stock that would last for just 42 days, Hindustan Times reported. As the city has not seen significant rainfall in the lakes' catchment areas yet, there has been no surge in water levels even with the first month of monsoon nearing its end.

But the civic agency's officials have assured that as a bountiful monsoon is expected, the water would be replenished soon.

The current water stock is just 10.68% of the total stock. On Sunday, the water stock that is useful in all seven lakes was at 1.54 lakh litres. The total storage capacity is 14.47 lakh litres.

During the same time in 2019, the seven lakes – Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Vihar, and Tulsi – together had 82,829 litres of water. But this year's level is less than 13.09% which was seen in 2018 in the same duration, the report said.

Notably, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had in 2018, had ordered a 10% water cut across the city.

Authorities have, however, said that so far, no such move has been planned.

"This year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted normal rainfall in Mumbai.

So far the rainfall in Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna and some other dams are better than last year," P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (Hydraulic department) told HT. He added that there is no reason to worry yet.

According to the BMC's report accessed by the publication, at Modak Sagar, 25% of water stock is available, Tansa possessed 11.37%, Middle Vaitarna 14.23%, Bhatsa 9.72%, Vihar 22.27% and Tulsi has 30.64% of useful water level. However, upper Vaitarna had run out of the useful water stock.

These lakes are situated in Thane and Palghar districts and their catchment areas are located in Nashik, Thane and Palghar districts.