The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will convene a high-level meeting on Tuesday to evaluate the need for stricter water conservation measures, as water stocks in the seven lakes supplying Mumbai have plummeted to 10.7% of their total capacity as of Monday, June 15.
A 10% water cut is already in effect across the city. Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner overseeing the hydraulic department, stated that no decision has been made yet regarding an increase in the cut. “We will review the situation in Tuesday’s meeting and decide whether any additional and stricter curbs are required to ensure the judicious use of potable water,” Bangar said.
The civic body has previously imposed tougher restrictions during weak monsoon years. In 2014, following poor rainfall in June, the BMC increased the water cut to 20% before reducing it to 10% once rainfall improved in catchment areas. That year, the first lake to overflow was Tulsi on July 28, followed by Modak Sagar on July 30 and Tansa on August 4, after monsoon activity intensified in the second half of July.
Mumbai also faced a prolonged water crisis in 2015-16, when a 20% water cut remained in force from August 2015 to July 2016 due to an erratic monsoon. Besides the cut for domestic consumers, the BMC imposed a 50% reduction in water supply to bulk users, including malls, star hotels, factories, and stadiums, while water supply to civic swimming pools was suspended.
Whether similar restrictions will be reintroduced this year remains uncertain. A civic official noted that during a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, officials from the India Meteorological Department indicated that heavy rainfall activity is unlikely during the remainder of June.
As of Monday, June 15, the seven lakes held 1.55 lakh million litres of water, equivalent to 10.7% of the required stock, compared to 1.25 lakh million litres, or 8.7%, on the corresponding day last year.
