04 August,2024 01:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/BMC
In the wake of heavy rains, one more lake supplying water to Mumbai, Middle Vaitarna Lake, started overflowing on Sunday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-managed reservoir is one of the seven sources of drinking water for the metropolis and is located in the adjoining Palghar district.
As of August 4, 2024, at 2.45 am, the 'Hinduhrdaya Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Middle Vaitrana Reservoir' has reached full capacity. This marks the fifth reservoir to fill up completely this monsoon season. Following this, two gates of the reservoir have been opened, releasing water at a rate of 706.30 cusecs, according to the BMC's water engineering department.
Earlier, the Tulsi, Vihar, Modak Sagar, and Tansa lakes began overflowing last month. With the Middle Vaitarna lake now full, five out of the seven reservoirs supply water to the BMCpacity. Recent heavy rains in the catchment area have significantly increased the water levels in these reservoirs.
The Middle Vaitarna lake, which was filled at midnight, has a maximum water storage capacity of 193,530 million litres (19,353 crore litres).
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation completed the Central Vaitrana Dam in Mokhada taluk, Palghar district, in 2014. Standing at 102.4 meters high and 565 meters long, this dam was constructed in record time and is named the 'Hinduhrdaya Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Middle Vaitrana Reservoir' in honour of the late leader.
The combined maximum water storage capacity of the seven dams supplying water to Mumbai is 1,44,736.3 crore litres (14,47,363 million litres). As of today's count at 6 am, these reservoirs collectively hold 89.10 per cent of their total capacity.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest Mumbai weather update, predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall on Sunday.
The weather department, in its latest Mumbai weather update, has predicted "heavy rain in the city and its suburbs with the possibility of very heavy rain at isolated places. Occasional gusty winds reaching 45-55 gusting to 65 kmph" in the next 24 hours.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Sindhudurg and Nashik for August 4.
The maximum temperature in the city is likely to settle at 30 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature will be recorded at 25 degrees Celsius.
A high tide of about 4.35 metres is expected to hit Mumbai at 12.23 pm today, stated Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The civic body also said that a low tide of about 1.56 metres is expected at 6.27 pm today.
The IMD on Saturday also issued a red alert for Maharashtra's Palghar, Pune and Satara districts for August 4.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely in Palghar, the IMD said in its forecast.
It said extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in ghat areas and moderate rain in plain areas is very likely in Pune and Satara.
