Mumbai currently has only 16.97 percent water storage in all seven dams supplying water to the city, marking the lowest level in the past three years. Despite this, the state government's approval to utilize the reserve stock ensures water availability until the end of June. A review meeting has been scheduled by the municipal administration to assess the water storage and discuss the possibility of implementing water cuts.
The seven dams - Urdhva Vaitrana, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Madhya Vaitrana, Bhatsa, Vihar, Tulsi - collectively hold 245,670 million liters of water, equivalent to 16.97 percent. With a daily supply of 3,800 million liters, this reserve can adequately meet demands for the next two months. The municipality's strategy indicates that a one percent water reserve can sustain.
Mumbai's needs for three days, resulting in a monthly consumption rate of 12 to 13 percent. However, higher evaporation rates due to escalating summer temperatures and delayed rainfall onset in June may necessitate water supply until July. Last year's water storage on May 6 was at 22 percent, while the preceding year registered 26 percent. Upon reaching 50 percent water storage, the municipal administration traditionally requests the state government to release reserve stocks from Bhatsa and Urdhav Vaitrana dams.
This year, demands included 137,000 million liters from Bhatsa dam and 92.5 million liters from Vaitrana dam, a move endorsed by the state government. Consequently, the proposed 10 percent water reduction was rescinded in February. Once the current water storage depletes, the reserve will be tapped for supply, although significant evaporation due to intense heat continues to impact water levels.
In a separate incident, water shortages were witnessed across various areas on Monday following the temporary closure of the Panjrapur water treatment plant due to a sudden power outage. This led to a 10 to 20 percent reduction in water supply in several parts of Mumbai, with a 10 percent decrease in supply observed in western suburbs and key city locales like Worli, Prabhadevi, Dadar, and Colaba. Eastern suburbs and areas such as Wadala, Naigaon, and Lalbagh experienced a 20 percent reduction in water supply.