Mumbai: BMC gets nod to ensure city has no water cuts

State govt allows civic body access to 1.5 lakh million litres of water from Bhatsa and Middle Vaitarna

The state government has approved a proposal of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seeking access to 1.5 lakh million litres of reserve water from the irrigation department-owned Bhatsa and Middle Vaitarna dams. As the city has sufficient water till August, there is no need for an immediate water cut.

As of Monday morning, there were 1.67 lakh million litres of water in seven dams, which is 11.58 per cent of the total capacity. This stock will last till March 15.
mid-day reported on June 1 that the proposal had been pending with the state government. “The proposal was approved by the state government last week,” said a BMC official.

“Currently, we have enough water stock so there is no need to think about water cuts immediately,” the official added.

Another official claimed that if there had been a delay in approving the request for reserve stock or if the government did not give its nod for the same, there would have been a possibility of imposing a water cut.

The current water stock is the lowest of the past three years. In 2021 and 2022, it was 13.43 per cent (1.98 lakh million litres) and 15.83 per cent (2.29 lakh million litres) respectively. The total capacity of the lakes is 14.47 lakh million litres.

14.47l
Total capacity of lakes in million litres

Current useful water stock in lakes*

Lake    Amount
Upper Vaitarna    75,000 (from reserved stock)
Modak Sagar    34,028 
Tansa    33,568
Middle Vaitarna    23,230
Bhatsa    1,42,046
Vihar    7,202
Tulsi    2,476 
Total    2,42,549
*in million litres

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