Mumbai's water stock will last only 42 days: Report
Maharashtra's capital Mumbai is facing several battles together, two of them being related to water shortage and the novel coronavirus. Already bruised by the COVID-19 pandemic, the city is now staring at drinking water shortage. The current stocks will only last 42 days. But the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) suggested against panicking, saying a good monsoon is upon the city. Here's more.
Lakes didn't receive much rainfall in June
Seven lakes namely Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Vihar, and Tulsi, are the major sources of supply water in Mumbai. Just eight days are left in June, the first month of monsoon, and there hasn't been a respectable increase in water level in these lakes. It was because the catchment areas of the lakes didn't receive adequate rains, reports HT.
Upper Vaitarna has no usable water stock left
According to BMC's report, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vihar, and Tulsi have 25%, 11.37%, 14.23%, 9.72%, 22.27%, and 30.64% of water stock respectively. There is no usable water stock left in Upper Vaitarna. Bhatsa contributes to 50% of water supply to Mumbai, while Middle Vaitarna, Upper Vaitarna, and Modak Sagar make for 37% of the supply, the report added.
2020's stock is lesser than 2018's
Further, the report said that the current stock, which can be used, is 1.54 lakh liters of a total of 14.47 lakh liters. This data combined all the seven lakes. In 2019, the stock in these lakes for the corresponding time period was 82,829 liters. A year before that, in 2018, the usable stock at the seven lakes was 13.09% of the total capacity.
Monsoons made an appearance on June 15
To note, monsoons made an appearance in Mumbai on June 15, and it was three days later that the city got its first spell of heavy rains. Rains lashed parts of Mumbai city, eastern and western suburbs. Earlier this month, Cyclone Nisarga also made a landfall, throwing normal life out of gear. However, the destruction wasn't as massive as expected.
IMD predicted normal rainfall, there won't be water shortage: BMC
Despite the looming crisis, BMC officials said no decision has been taken on water cuts and that there won't be a shortage. "This year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted normal rainfall in Mumbai. So far the rainfall in Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna and some other dams are better than last year," said Additional Municipal Corporation of Hydraulic Department, P Velrasu.
