Lakes level plummet to 10% of capacity: BMC to hold meeting to decide on stricter measures for Mumbai

Mumbai: With water stocks in the seven lakes supplying the city falling to 10.7% of their total capacity as of Monday, June 15, the BMC will hold a high-level meeting on Tuesday to decide whether stricter water conservation measures are needed.A 10% water cut is already in force across Mumbai. Additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar, who oversees the hydraulic department, said no decision has yet been taken on increasing the cut.“We will review the situation in Tuesday’s meeting and decide whether any additional and stricter curbs are required to ensure the judicious use of potable water,” Bangar said.The civic body has imposed tougher restrictions in the past during weak monsoon years.

In 2014, after poor rainfall in June, the BMC increased the water cut to 20% before reducing it to 10% once rainfall improved in the catchment areas. That year, the first lake to overflow was Tulsi on July 28, followed by Modak Sagar on July 30 and Tansa on Aug 4, after monsoon activity intensified in the second half of July.Mumbai also faced a prolonged water crisis in 2015-16, when a 20% water cut remained in force from Aug 2015 to July 2016 due to an erratic monsoon.

Besides the cut for domestic consumers, the BMC imposed a 50% reduction in water supply to bulk users, including malls, star hotels, factories and stadiums, while water supply to civic swimming pools was suspended.Whether similar restrictions will be reintroduced this year remains to be seen. A civic official said that during a meeting chaired by the deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, officials from the India Meteorological Department indicated that heavy rainfall activity is unlikely during the remainder of June.As of Monday, June 15, the seven lakes held 1.55 lakh million litres of water, equivalent to 10.7% of the required stock, compared with 1.25 lakh million litres, or 8.7%, on the corresponding day last year.