No water cuts in Mumbai from Saturday after level of seven lakes rises to 95.19%

There will be no water cuts in Mumbai from Saturday, the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced on Friday, as the level of the seven lakes that supply water to the city has reached 95.19%. The seven lakes are Tansa, Bhatsa, Middle Vaitarna, Upper Vaitarna, Tulsi, Vehar and Modak Sagar.

The civic body had imposed 20% water cut in the city on August 5 as the seven lakes had 37.36% useful water content, or 539.307 billion litres, as opposed to 89.96% at the same time in 2019. The cut was reduced to 10% on August 21 after levels in the seven lakes crossed the 85% mark.

On Friday, BMC announced, “Due to heavy rain in the past few days, water storage has increased in the catchment area of seven lakes, which supply water to BMC area. As of 6am today [Friday], the total water storage in all seven lakes has reached 95.19 per cent. Taking this into consideration, the BMC administration has decided to withdraw the water cut that was implemented from August 5, 2020. Accordingly, regular water supply will be provided to BMC area from August 29, 2020.”

BMC also decided to regularise water supply to villages and areas in Thane and Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, which receive their supply from the Mumbai civic body’s lakes.

As of Friday morning, there is 1,377.69 billion litres of water in the seven lakes. At the same time last year, the level of useful water content was 1,395.663 billion litres, or 96.43%.

BMC supplies 3,850 million litres per day (MLD) as against a demand of 4,200 MLD. After the 20% water cut, BMC was supplying 3,080 MLD of water to Mumbai.

The seven lakes are bifurcated into two systems – the Vaitarna system supplies water to the western suburbs and the island city, and the Bhatsa system supplies to the eastern suburbs. The lakes are situated in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts.