Mumbai’s Drinking Water Lakes Overflowing

Mumbai’s water reservoirs are currently at 95.89% of their total capacity, according to the latest report from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This significant increase in water levels comes in the wake of heavy rainfall, which has notably affected the city’s seven primary reservoirs.

The BMC data reveals that the collective water stock across Mumbai’s lakes is 13,87,820 million litres, representing nearly full capacity. The reservoirs in question include Tulsi, Tansa, Vihar, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, and Middle Vaitarna. Specifically, the Tansa Lake is at 98.45% capacity, Modak-Sagar has reached 100%, Middle Vaitarna stands at 98.42%, and Upper Vaitarna at 95.33%. Bhatsa has 93.76% of its capacity filled, while Vihar and Tulsi lakes are both at full capacity. The heavy monsoon rains have caused several lakes to overflow. Middle Vaitarna began overflowing on July 4, followed by Vihar and Modak Sagar on July 25.

Tansa Lake also overflowed on July 24, significantly boosting the water levels across all reservoirs by an additional 17 days’ worth of supply in just one day. Tansa Lake, situated in the Shahpur region of Thane, supplies approximately 400 million gallons of water to Mumbai and started overflowing on July 26, 2024. Similarly, Tulsi Lake, which directly supplies the BMC, began overflowing on July 20, mirroring last year’s overflow timing. In terms of current weather conditions, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted moderate rainfall for Mumbai. The city is expected to experience a generally cloudy sky with occasional gusty winds reaching 30-40 km/h over the next 24 hours.

The maximum temperature is projected to be around 32°C, while the minimum is expected to be 26°C. Additionally, a high tide of approximately 2.88 metres is anticipated at 6:48 pm today, with a low tide of 2.43 metres expected at 2:01 pm. The Regional Meteorological Centre has issued a yellow alert for heavy rains in isolated areas of Raigad, Ratnagiri, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, and Nagpur, highlighting the widespread impact of the ongoing weather conditions.