BMC may use reserved stock to tackle water crisis

As a precautionary measure in the backdrop of water shortage in the state, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may have to use its reserved water stock to tide over the water crisis in the city this year. The civic body has decided to use 50 per cent of the reserved supply in Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarana lakes and will soon be seeking permission from the state government for this.

According to the civic officials, the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai – Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, Upper Vaitarana, Bhatsa and Middle Vaitarana – presently have 3.35 million litres (ml) of water stock as against last year’s storage of 4.02 ml of water. The Bhatsa and Vaitarana basins, from where the supply is made, have 76 and 64 days of useful water content left respectively.

As a precautionary measure, the civic body already has imposed 20 per cent water cuts on residential users and 50 per cent on commercial and industrial consumers. However, even taking into account these measures the present water stock will last only till June end. Considering the errant nature of the monsoon in recent years, it is always safer to have a dequate water storage till the end of July. Hence a decision to use reserved water stock has been taken, said civic officials.

Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarana lakes constitute about 70 per cent of Mumbai’s supply. The reserved water stock in the Bhatsa dam is 2.25 lakh litres, whereas in Upper Vaitarana it is 92,500 litres.

“As both the dams belong to the state government, we have to seek approval from the state officials before using their reserved stock. A review meeting will be held after June 15, in which we will ask them for the permission to use the emergency storage. But it all depends on the arrival of monsoon,” said a senior official from the civic hydraulic department.

Civic officials said the ongoing water cuts on residential and commercial users would continue. To tackle the water crisis, the BMC has also denied new connections to public and private gardens till there is enough improvement in water stock. It has also directed to snap water connections of public swimming pools and AC plants with immediate effect.