Mumbai will face a 10% reduction in water supply starting Thursday, May 15, after water levels in the city’s reservoirs dropped sharply amid concerns over a delayed and below-normal monsoon. The decision was announced by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) following directions from the state water resources department.
According to civic data, the combined usable water stock in Mumbai’s seven lakes stood at 340,399 million litres on May 11. This accounts for only 23.52% of the total annual required storage capacity of 1,447,363 million litres, raising concerns about supply management in the coming months.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast below-average rainfall this monsoon due to El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole conditions, prompting the civic administration to introduce precautionary restrictions. BMC officials said the current strategy is aimed at ensuring available water reserves last until August 31, especially if rainfall arrival is delayed.
The 10% cut will not only affect Mumbai city but also neighbouring areas that receive water from the civic body, including Thane, the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, and nearby villages.
Mumbai depends on seven reservoirs — Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Vihar, and Tulsi — to meet its daily water requirements. To strengthen reserves, the BMC has secured additional allocations of 147,092 million litres from the Bhatsa dam and 90,000 million litres from the Upper Vaitarna dam.
Officials estimate that current water reserves may sustain the city only until early July if consumption remains unchanged. However, with the planned restrictions and controlled usage, the civic body expects supplies to extend further into August.
The BMC has appealed to residents to avoid panic and use water carefully until reservoir levels improve following adequate rainfall.
Source: Swarajya
