Drastic reduction in lake levels sparks worry despite assurances of uninterrupted supply
The seven lakes that supply water to the city have a combined storage capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres. File pic
The city's lake stock has seen a drastic reduction within just three weeks, compared to the past two years, owing to the early exit of the monsoon. Currently, the lake stock stands at 93 per cent. Back in 2018, when the stock was at 91 per cent by the end of September, the city had to endure a 10 per cent water cut for the remainder of the year. This year, despite assurances from BMC officials of continuous water supply, a rainless October could escalate concerns.
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The seven lakes that supply water to the city have a combined capacity of storing 14.47 lakh million litres of water. The city receives a daily supply of 3800 million litres of water. If the lakes reach their full capacity on October 1, the city enjoys an uninterrupted water supply until the following July.
As of September 30, the lakes were at full capacity, with a total stock of 99.23 per cent, surpassing the levels from the previous year. In 2022, the stock was at 98.56 per cent, and in 2021, it was at 98.77 per cent. BMC officials had assured no water cuts for this year. However, within three weeks, the water stock has reduced significantly compared to the previous two years.
Also read: Mumbai: Water stock in seven reservoirs at 93.65 per cent
The current lake levels stand at 93.28 per cent, equivalent to 13.50 lakh million litres of water. Last year, the stock was at 97.57 per cent, and in 2021, it was at 96.97 per cent. An official from the BMC's hydraulic engineering department attributed this decline to the absence of October rains this year compared to the previous two years.
Even though the monsoon extended into October last year and lake levels remained higher than this year, the city faced water scarcity due to delayed rains this year. In 2018, when the lake levels were at 91 per cent by the end of September and dropped to 76 per cent by mid-November, the BMC imposed a 10 per cent water cut from November 14. Despite BMC officials assuring continuous water supply until the next monsoon, a dry October could raise concerns among corporation officials.
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