Despite heavy showers, Mumbaikars will have to wait another month for water woes to end as the civic body has decided to extend the 15% water cut imposed on the city last year till August 15.
Despite heavy showers, Mumbaikars will have to wait another month for water woes to end as the civic body has decided to extend the 15% water cut imposed on the city last year till August 15.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was to take stock of the water situation on Thursday to decide whether the 15% water cut should be withdrawn.
“While the water levels in the six lakes have gone up to 2,42,930 million litre, as compared to 1,84,788 million litre last year, a lull in the monsoon in the last 10 days is a cause for concern as the lakes levels have dropped.
“We cannot take last year’s lake levels as a yardstick since the monsoon was poor last year,” said Swadhin Kshatriya, municipal commissioner.
“The total capacity of the lakes is 13 lakh million litres. If we take the average rainfall in the last five years, we should have had a little more than 6,70,859 million litre by now, which is 64% more than the current stock.
“We will feel comfortable only when our dams and reservoirs cross 60% of their capacity. We will sit for a review meeting on August 15 to decide on whether or not the water cut should be lifted,” he said.
Kshatriya said that meteorological department experts have said that unless a low pressure belt is created in the Bay of Bengal, the monsoon won’t get pulled to Mumbai and its reservoirs.
In 2008, the available stock was 3,88,750 million litres, while in 2007, 2006, and 2005, it was 6,23,639 million litres, 8,04,255 million litres, and 8,66,804 million litres respectively. The six lakes supplying water to the city are Tansa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Tulsi and Vihar. A hydraulic department official said that the lakes have received between 11mm and 42 mm of rainfall this season.
The BMC will continue to supply 2,900 million litres of water per day to the city till August 15, as opposed to the regular 3,420 million litres.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}