Heavy rains lash Mumbai; Modak Sagar lake overflows

MUMBAI: The city and its neighbouring areas continued to receive heavy rain spells throughout Friday. Weathermen said that "good intensity rains" are expected to continue till Saturday.
However, the adequate breaks in between the rain activity ensured that there was no severe waterlogging. Bringing some more cheer for the city residents, Modak Sagar became the third catchment area lake supplying water to Mumbai to overflow on Friday evening. Just a day ago Tansa lake had also started overflowing. The total water stock also increased by 6.28% in a single day from July 25-26.
Following a week of only light to moderate rainfall, monsoons got active once again from Wednesday and since then short heavy rain spells are being witnessed. On Friday the rains recorded by the IMD Colaba and Santa Cruz observatory was 24.2 mm and 23 mm. Weathermen said that the current rain activity was owing to a feeble cyclonic circulation over south Gujarat and adjoining area and an offshore trough is extending from Konkan and Goa to coastal Karnataka. This has enhanced the wind speed from Arabian Sea and simultaneously the monsoon surge has also increased, said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, meteorology & climate change, Skymet.
"We are expecting such rain activity to continue till June 27 and the intensity will decrease from July 28. From June 29, we expect significant decrease in the rain activity. Although, occasional light to moderate showers will continue, but heavy rains or extremely heavy rains are ruled out," said Palawat.
Meanwhile, Modak Sagar became the third catchment area lake supplying water to Mumbai to overflow on Friday at 5.20pm. Last year, this lake had started overflowing on July 15, from 3.05 pm onwards. Prior to it, Tansa and Tulsi lake had overflowed. While Tansa overflowed on July 25 Tulsi lake started overflowing from July 12.
Modak Sagar supplies 440 million litres of water to Mumbai daily. The full supply level of Modak Sagar is 163.15 metres and it was expected to overflow as on Friday as its level had already reached 162.75 metres. The lake supplies 11% of the total required quantum to the city daily.
The total water stocks in all the catchment area lakes rose significantly on Friday as compared to a day ago. As on July 26 the total water stocks in the lakes stood at 9.28 lakh million litres or 64.14% of the total required stocks. Till just a day ago the total water stocks were 57.86%. A senior BMC official said that there have been good rains in the catchment area lakes and they were hopeful that the total water stock would touch over 14 lakh million litres till the end of the monsoon. The lakes need to have over 14 lakh million litres of water in it till the end of monsoons for the city to go without a water cut.