Water levels rise in 24 hours, ensuring four-month supply; IMD issues severe weather warning for upcoming days
Water logging at Lalbaug flyover in Mumbai on July 11. Pic/Ashish Raje
Continuous rainfall has significantly increased the water stock in Mumbai's reservoirs, reaching 35.11 per cent on Monday. This is the first time this season that the water stock has surged by 5.38 per cent in just 24 hours. The catchment areas have received continuous showers, leading to an increase of 77,849 million litres in the water stock across all seven lakes, equivalent to 19 days of the city's water requirement.
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According to civic data, the current water stock can sustain the city for the next four months. The total capacity of the lakes is 14.47 lakh million litres, with the current stock standing at 5.08 lakh million litres. This year's stock is over half compared to the 2022 water stock, which was 74.82 per cent on the same day. In comparison, last year's stock was 31.16 per cent, marking a 4 per cent increase this year. BMC officials claim that the IMD has predicted continued rain in the catchment area, and they are hopeful for a few more heavy showers.
On Sunday, the water stock was 4.30 lakh million litres, 29.73 per cent of the total capacity, which increased to 35.11 per cent by Monday.
IMD warning
The IMD has issued a series of alerts for several districts in Maharashtra, warning of impending severe weather conditions. A red alert has been issued for Raigad district for Tuesday, while Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Kolhapur, and Satara districts are under an orange alert.
“The regions with a red alert are expected to receive rainfall between 115mm and 204mm and even beyond. Meanwhile, the regions with an orange alert are expected to receive rainfall between 64mm and 204mm,” said an official from IMD.
Gusty winds warning
IMD has also issued a warning for gusty winds in Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, Latur, and Osmanabad districts. Residents are cautioned about the potential impact of strong winds, which could cause damage to property and disrupt normal activities.
Inputs from Prasun Choudhari