No dry taps in Mumbai this summer, enough stock in lakes

An overflowing Powai lake last July. Pic/Ashish Raje

Mumbai will not face water cuts this summer. The lakes that supply water to the city on Monday had 7.05 lakh million litres of water which BMC said is enough to last for at least five months. Last year, the city had 6.53 lakh million litres of water on March 7.

As per the BMC, this is the third year in a row when the city will not face water cuts in the summer months.

The city gets water from seven lakes - Bhatsa, Tansa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tulsi and Vihar - which have a combined capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres of water. The BMC supplies 3,850 million litres of water to the city. The combined stock on Monday was 49 per cent of the total capacity.

In 2019, when the city faced a water cut, the total stock was 5.42 lakh million litres - 37 per cent of the overall capacity - at the end of February.

"The water stock in lakes is higher than it was last year and it will last for at least five months till July. The city may not face a water cut this year, but citizens should use water judicially," said Sanjay Arte, chief of the Hydraulic Engineering Department of the BMC.

Last year, Mumbai had faced unexpected water cuts in June and July due to scanty rainfall.

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Percentage of water stock available in city's lakes

Stock in lakes as of March 7

. 2022: 7,05,195 million litres
. 2021: 6,53,562 million litres
. Upper Vaitarna: 1,10,968
. Modak Sagar: 54,157
. Tansa: 59,129
. Middle Vaitarna: 99,599
. Bhatsa: 3,64,042
. Vihar: 12,798
. Tulsi: 4502
. Total stock: 7,05,195
(water stock in million litres)