Mumbai’s 10% water cut stays despite reservoirs reaching 96%

Mumbai’s seven water reservoirs were about 96% full on September 9, but taps will remain under a 10% cut until at least the end of the month.

The BMC said the reservoirs held around 13.95 lakh million litres, against a combined capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres. Additional Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma said the civic body was monitoring rainfall and would review the water position after September. A weak month of rain could reduce the buffer Mumbai carries into the drier season.

The cut began on May 15, when lake storage stood at about 23.5% of capacity. At the BMC’s Standing Committee meeting, corporators sought its withdrawal and flagged low-pressure supply, ageing pipelines and shortages in parts of the city.

Mumbai’s water network supplies around 3,850 million litres a day, against an estimated daily requirement of about 4,300 million litres. The civic body is mapping 5,500 km of its 6,500-km pipeline network to identify stretches for replacement. It is also studying wells, springs and other natural sources.