Some rain in the catchment areas for lakes in Mumbai, in the last 24 hours, has seen the water stock available in the reservoirs rise by 2,894 million litres.
Such is the nature of the water crisis being faced by the city that every drop added to the reservoirs is now being cheered. Some rain in the catchment areas for lakes in Mumbai, in the last 24 hours, has seen the water stock available in the reservoirs rise by 2,894 million litres.
The rise wouldn’t even meet the daily requirement of 3,350 million litres, but hydraulic engineers, who have even taken to weather modification exercises to induce rains, have welcomed the increase in the catchments areas. The Upper Vaitarna reservoir recorded 50.20 mm rainfall in 24 hours, while Modak Sagar and Tansa catchment have recorded 20 mm and 17 mm rainfall respectively.
Civic officials have said that investigations were on to determine on whether these rains had been induced by cloud seeding exercises, using both aerial and ground seeding methods, or happened naturally. Two aerial seeding experiments were carried out over the Modak Sagar and Tansa catchments areas on Sunday and Monday. Two other experiments for weather modification using ground seeding method were also carried out at the Modak Sagar catchment during the same period.
Civic officials said that any inference on what caused the rain will only be drawn after detailed scientific analysis. “It should rain in the catchments areas. Whether the weather modification exercise succeeded or failed could be analysed later,” the official said.
Five of the six lakes which supply water to Mumbai are just over 60% full. The monsoon is in its final leg. The lakes, which are usually are full by this time of the year, must receive at least 5 lakh litres of water in the coming days for the city to be guaranteed of continuous supply till monsoon arrives again next season.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}