Mumbai to face 10% water cut from November 15

MUMBAI: The city would witness a 10% cut in water quantum supplied and a 15% cut in water supply timings. The civic administration on Wednesday tabled the information about the same before the civic standing committee. The cut comes into effect from November 15.

The BMC, in its statement tabled before the committee, stated that the water quantum in the lakes to be supplied to the city up-to the arrival of monsoons next year is less and therefore they may have to resort to using the reserve stocks. In order to ensure that the least amount of reserve stocks are used a water cut of 10% and a 15% cut in the water supply timings has been proposed for all residential , commercial and industrial premises where municipal water is supplied.

At the civic meeting on Wednesday, however, the opposition party members raised a stink as to why was the water cut information tabled before them as the meeting was to be adjourned for the day. However, civic sources said that the same was only for the committee's information.

The catchment area lakes have three levels namely one having live storage, second reserve water stocks and third has dead stocks. When the lakes by the end of monsoon (September 30) have 100% water stocks, then the city can be provided adequate water for the rest of year from the live storage. However now the situation is such that the water stocks are less compared to last year by almost 15% and therefore there will be a need to use up water from reserve stocks as well.

This year the catchment area lakes received good rains in June and July however the rains in August and September have been dry.

The BMC presently supplies 3800 MLD of water to Mumbai daily even as the city's needs are 4200 MLD.

As on November 14, the total water stocks in all the lakes stand at 10.95 lakh million litres, which was 75.67% of the total stocks , while last year on the same date it stood at a much higher quantum of 13.17 lakh million litres i.e. 91.94% of the total required stocks.