Mumbai on Alert: City’s Water Reserves Dip Below 12%

Image Source: India.com

Mumbai is facing a concerning dip in its water reserves, with the seven lakes that supply the city now holding just 11.77% of their full capacity. Despite an early monsoon arrival, the catchment areas haven’t received enough rain to replenish stocks, raising concerns about future supply.

Key Highlights:

As of June 5, the combined water stock in Mumbai’s seven lakes—Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, Upper Vaitarna, Bhatsa, and Middle Vaitarna—stands at 11.77%, or about 1.7 lakh million litres. This is almost half of what it was a month ago (22.66%).
Compared to previous years, the situation is mixed: last year on this date, levels were even lower at 6.78%, while in 2023, they were similar at 11.58%.
The early monsoon, which arrived on May 25, hasn’t brought enough rainfall to the lakes’ catchment areas. In the past 24 hours, none of the lakes received any rain.
Rainfall since the monsoon’s start has been patchy: Tulsi has received 78 mm, Bhatsa 49 mm, Middle Vaitarna 30 mm, Vihar 21 mm, Upper Vaitarna 17 mm, Modak Sagar 16 mm, and Tansa 12 mm.
The lakes are located on Mumbai’s outskirts and in Thane district. At full capacity, they can store 14.5 lakh million litres.

City officials are monitoring the situation closely. Each 1% of water stock is estimated to last about three days, so current reserves could last just over a month if rains don’t pick up soon.

Residents are advised to use water judiciously as the city waits for heavier monsoon showers to refill the lakes.

Source: Mid-Day