BMC in Alert Mode after Water Levels in Lakes Freeze to 18%

In the past few days, the water levels at seven lakes supplying water to the city of Mumbai show no notable increase. As claimed by the reports of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at present the water level is 18% in the seven lakes which will be enough for the coming 70 days. Though there has been a significant decrease from the last two years. In the year 2019, the city had a water stock of 100 days and in the year 2020, it was around 80 days. The water level in the lakes has not increased due to low rainfall in July. 

 

However, the water which comes for non-potable purposes to the civic body from Powai Lake had overflowed on June 12 this year. On July 5 last year, the lake was full. The seven lakes are divided into two parts as Vaitarna and Bhatsa. The Vaitarna provides water to the western suburbs and the island city, and the Bhatsa part to the eastern suburbs which is situated in Mumbai as well as neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts.

 

In the city’s demand for 4,200 million litres of the civic body provides 3,850 million litres of water daily. To tackle this, issue the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been inspecting diverse methods to increase the water several ways increase the water supply in the city. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the BMC and an Israel- based firm was signed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) some time ago for the city’s first desalination project at Manori in Malad. In the project, the plan BMC has framed is turning the seawater into drinking water and the pilot project is expected to be completed by 2025.

 

“The rainfall for July is yet to commence. Therefore, any decision on water cuts will now rely on how much rainfall we will get in July. However, the forecast of rainfall for this year is good, and a decision will be taken in the coming days based on how the rainfall patterns are there in July.”