03 August,2026 08:25 AM IST | Mumbai | The Editorial
Representation pic
As of Sunday morning, Mumbai's water stock across the seven lakes stood at a little over 89 per cent. This is heartening, given that just 33 days ago this was around 6 per cent. Around that time, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted an alarming future - the impending El Nino phenomenon would not only bring forth a below-average monsoon but could also mean that Mumbai could face a water crisis the rest of the year until at least the monsoon of 2027.
With more than a month to go for the monsoon season to conclude, Mumbai stands to have a comfortable water supply for the year. While this is good news, it also proves - yet again - that the city cannot rely on the vagaries of climate and local weather systems to ensure that its 20-plus million residents get adequate water supply.
Over the years, policy makers have screamed from the rooftops to execute a four-pronged approach for Mumbai's water self-sufficiency: Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to recycle water for industrial and non-potable use; desalination plants to convert sea water into potable water; new dams such as Gargai to be completed on a war footing to augment distant reservoirs; and finally, leakage reduction and rainwater harvesting.
The BMC, along with the state government, has to get cracking on these so that Mumbai, the Urbs Prima in Indis, does not have to spend another year in angst and anxiety.
By the next year, Mumbai's population is only expected to go up, and the current daily water shortage of nearly 500 million litres will only increase. Besides, if the city has to return to the forefront as India's premier business destination, water security has to be on top of the administration's agenda.
