Advertisement

Only 55 days' water stock in Mumbai Lakes: BMC

It has come to light that major infrastructure and redevelopments projects along with government offices and clubs in Mumbai have been using lakhs of litres of groundwater illegally through water tankers daily for many years now.

Only 55 days' water stock in Mumbai Lakes: BMC
(File image)
SHARES

As per annual pattern, monsoon in Mumbai arrives on or before June 10. However, this time the pre-monsoon drills are likely to arrive by June 11 and it will intensify after June 15.

Therefore, all eyes, including BMC’s are set upon the arrival of rains so that city’s seven lakes could be replenished for supplying water to Mumbai for the upcoming year.

However, in a relieving news, the current water stock in the seven lakes of the city will last for 55 days, stated BMC officials.

As on Tuesday, June 7, these lakes had cumulative stock of 2,12,461 million litres or 14.68 percent of the 14,47,363 lakh million litres total capacity. This has been possible owing to the good amount of rains city received last year.

The current stock is higher as compared to this day in 2021, when it was 12.84 per cent.

Drawing from the lakes of Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, Upper Vaitarna, Bhatsa and Middle Vaitarna, the BMC supplies 3,850 million litres of water every day to the residents.

In recent years, the civic body has started looking for additional sources of water, with experiments like rainwater harvesting, digging borewells, desalination, etc. But, rains have always been the main source of water for the city. The BMC takes stock of the water level in the lakes on October 1 annually.

Refurbishing about August 2020’s situation when Mumbai faced water cuts as levels in catchment areas of the lakes were low due to a lack of rainfall. No water cut was imposed in 2019, owing to good rains, while the BMC had imposed a 10 per cent water cut in 2018, a 20 per cent cut in 2016, and a 25 per cent cut in 2014.

On the other hand, it has come to light that major infrastructure and redevelopments projects along with government offices and clubs in Mumbai have been using lakhs of litres of groundwater illegally through water tankers daily for many years now.

As neither the tanker owners nor well owners have any NoC from central groundwater authorities to extract and sell it for commercial or public purposes., reports mentioned.

An RTI suggested that so far the Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA) has not extended powers to any state agency to issue NoCs to well and tanker owners and fine them in case of breach of law.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Water Tanker Association has said that they are supplying water to metro rail, coastal road, Nhava-Sewri sea link, slum/building redevelopment, and flyover projects besides establishments such as Naval Dock, Western and Central Railway, Mumbai Port Trust, Mantralaya, BEST, Cricket Club of India, Airport, and municipal and private gardens.

For those unversed, the state water supply and sanitation department is yet to frame its own rules in line with the CGWA guidelines. According to basic conditions to obtain NoC for extraction of water, the well owner or tanker owner has to have the ownership of around 200 square metres (2,153 sq ft) of land. Though, the association has said it is next to impossible for their members to do so given the financial and geographical limitations in Mumbai.

RELATED TOPICS
Advertisement
MumbaiLive would like to send you latest news updates