Mumbai is facing a water shortage this year and a 10 percent water cut may be implemented from the first week of May. Due to the effects of El Nino, there is a possibility of a deficit in the southwest monsoon, which may affect the city's water storage.
According to the information given by the municipal officials, only 28.79 percent of the water storage is currently available in the seven lakes of the city. It is being said that this storage will be sufficient until the end of July. Therefore, a decision to cut water can be taken to maintain the available water till August.
Mumbai's water supply is completely dependent on seven lakes and about 4,000 ML of water is supplied daily. However, the total demand of the city is 4,463 ML. The total water consumption per year is about 14.47 lakh ML, which mainly depends on the rainfall.
According to the officials, this year the rainfall is likely to be delayed and the high temperature will increase evaporation. This may slow down the rate of water storage in the lakes.
Meanwhile, the state government's approval is awaited to use the additional water. There is a proposal to use 68 thousand ML of reserved water from Upper Vaitarna Lake and 1.13 lakh ML from Bhatsa Lake.
Apart from this, water leakage and wastage are becoming a major problem. According to the Municipal Corporation's data, about 34 percent of water is wasted due to leakage and theft. According to experts, if this leakage is stopped, a large amount of water can be saved and scarcity can be avoided.
Meanwhile, the administration has appealed to the citizens to save water and is keeping a close watch on the situation.