Mumbai seeks extra water amid weak monsoon fears

Boys enjoying themselves under the overflowing water of Powai Lake last year. The lake is one of the main artificial lakes under the jurisdiction of the BMC. Representation/Satej Shinde

With the India Meteorological Department earlier this week indicating the possibility of a weak or below-average southwest monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has approached the state government seeking additional water to ensure an uninterrupted supply till the end of August. As of April 16, the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai are at 33.22 per cent capacity. As a precautionary measure, the BMC has requested one lakh Million Litres (ML) of water to be drawn from Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarna.

If the state releases the additional stock, this could help sustain supply till August 31, 2026.

Current water situation

A senior civic official said the city's current reserves are stable but require careful planning. "In case we have weak rainfall, the present water stock in our lakes should be sufficient till August 31. This does not imply that we will get no rainfall until August, but we have to consider the water stock situation for the entire next year as well," the official said.

At a glance

Total storage capacity: 14,47,363 ML
Current stock: 4,80,842 ML (33.22%)
Daily supply: 3950-4100 ML
Concern: Weak monsoon forecast
Plan: Seek additional water, consider phased cuts

Water cuts

April 20-27: 5% cut in 11 of 26 municipal wards due to maintenance
Affected areas include Kurla, Govandi, Chembur, Ghatkopar, Powai, Mulund, Churchgate, Colaba, Byculla, Parel, and SioN

April 15: 20-25% one-day cut in parts of the eastern suburbs and the island city
Caused by a power disruption at the Pajarapur and Pise treatment plants

Possibility of water cuts

Officials said a decision on 10 per cent water cut will be taken when required depending on real-time monitoring.

"There is no need to panic regarding the water situation. If BMC decides to impose a water cut, it is not a call we can plan about in advance. This call will have to be taken after monitoring the water stock situation in real time," a senior official said.

Lake-wise storage (ML)

Bhatsa 2,32,800
Upper Vaitarna 75,286
Middle Vaitarna 68,589
Modak Sagar45,340
Tansa 40,280
Vihar 15,296
Tulsi 3250

Note: Bhatsa water is shared with the state government and is not fully available to the BMC.
ML = million litres