Middle Vaitarna on verge of becoming fifth lake to overflow

Mumbai: In yet another tiding for Mumbai’s water supply, the Middle Vaitarana lake is on the verge of its overflow mark. With four other lakes already reaching the full supply level, it augurs well for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which hopes to have adequate water stocks till next summer.

According to civic officials, the full supply level of Middle Vaitarana dam is 285 metres and the lake levels have reached to 284.18 metres so far. With Vaitarana basin continuing to receive good rainfall, civic officials hope that it will start overflowing soon. The BMC has seven lakes – Modak Sagar, Tansa, Tulsi, Vihar, Upper Vaitarana, Bhatsa and Mid-dle Vaitarana – supplyi-ng water to the city. Of them, four lakes – Tulsi, Modak Sagar, Vehar and Tansa – have already started overflowing.

According to civic officials, the city needs water stock of 14.47 lakh million litres at the end of monsoon every year so that it last the entire summer and no wat-er cuts are imposed. As on July 22, the city has nearly reached 11.64 lakh million litres of water. The BMC daily supplies 3,750 million litres daily (mld) to the city.

The civic data says that the present stock is slightly less than last years stock of 11.76 lakh ml of water. But with more than two months of monsoon still to go, civic officials are hoping that all lakes will have adequate water supply by the end of this season.

“The catchments areas of lakes are receiving good rainfall. So we are optimistic that there will no water cuts during the summer season,” said a senior official from the civic hydraulic department.