Brace for 10% water cut if monsoon doesn’t pick up

Mayor Sunil Prabhu said the civic body will not be left with any option but to impose water cuts if it continues to rain poorly. “To be on the safer side,a 10 per cent cut is likely to be imposed within the next three to four days. After that,depending on the rainfall,we will take a call on whether to increase the water cut or roll it back,” said Prabhu.

As per the existing pattern of supplying 3,350 million litres daily,the BMC can supply water only up to July 15. “To save water for after mid-July,we will have to impose a water cut soon. We are hoping that rainfall picks up in July not just in Mumbai but also in Shahpur where lakes Tansa,Upper and Middle Vaitarna,Modaksagar and Bhatsa are located. Only consistent rainfall in this region can ensure increase in lake levels,” he said.

Officials from the hydraulic engineering department said they have started using the reserve stock from the Upper Vaitarna dam. The dam level is now just 0.2 metres short of reaching the lowest drawable level. The other five lakes have also been showing a drop in levels every day. There is 71,320 million litres water in the six lakes currently as against 1,49,681 million litres on the same day last year. In the crisis year of 2010,there was just 54,940 million litres in the lakes this day.