Blame BMC, not rains for empty lakes

The capacity of the six lakes which supply water to the city has reduced in five years despite good rains.

The Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) has submitted a report to the BMC that says the lakes hold less water than five years ago because of silt accumulation.

From 866,804 million litres in July 2005, the useful water content of the lakes is down to 242,930 million litres in 2010. But except for 2009, rainfall was good enough to fill the lakes.

Corporators are unhappy that the civic body has not carried out desilting of the lakes. In Tansa, for example, desilting will increase capacity by 10%.

“Last year, there was an opportunity for desilting since there was less water in the lakes. This year, it’s more difficult,” said Mangesh Bansode, an NCP corporator.

BMC standing committee chairman Rahul Shewale said the civic body cannot take the risk of desilting the lakes this year, though the measure “is necessary”. “There may be 18 million cubic metres of silt in the Tansa dam,” he estimated.

But additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar underplayed the importance of desilting. “Silt is a problem, but not much. Even the useful water content has not substantially reduced,” he said.