Abundant rainfall in the catchment areas of the seven lakes that supply drinking water to Mumbai has allowed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to lift not just the 15 per cent water cut in the city but also the later additional five per cent cut.
BMC chief Ajoy Mehta, in an order issued today, stated, “Following the rainfall received in the month of June, the water reservoir capacities had reached the 50 per cent mark. Similarly, in July 2016, the rainfall received in the catchment areas in on average found to be 33 per cent more in terms of the average rainfall received in the corresponding period between 2006 to 2015. With the rainfall during the remainder of the monsoon expected to be above average, we have removed the 15 per cent cut on water supply imposed in Mumbai.”
Mr. Mehta said that while the total water storage capacity in the city’s reservoirs is 14,47,363 million lakh litres, the expected rainfall by the end of September is 14,37,000 million lakh litres. “The current stock of water in reservoirs stands at 7,93,050 million lakh litres, that is, 54.79 per cent of the total storage capacity.” He said this was 64 per cent more than at the same time last year. Current levels are enough for the city’s daily consumption for the next 167 days. Mr. Mehta’s announcement came after a BMC Standing Committee meeting, in which councillors across party lines demanded the lifting of the water cuts.
The writer is a freelance journalist
