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.