Rain forecasts upset BMC as reservoirs turn dry

Though Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received permission from the state government to use reserve stock of water which will be enough up to July, the prediction of delay and below normal monsoon has increased worries of the corporation. The civic body will take the decision after review ing situation in June. The civic body is not increasing the volume of water cut as of now but has appealed to citizens to use water judicially.

After the scanty rainfall, the seven lakes and dams with a collective storage capacity of 14.47 lakh million litres water had only 91 per cent stock at the end of monsoon. The lake level decreased sharply in October and the civic body took the decision of 10 per cent water cut on November 14, when the stock dipped further to 76 per cent. Though the city has only 12 per cent of water which can last only for a month now, BMC has received official permission from the state government to use 1.70 lakh million water from reserve stock which can be used for another month. But even after this calculation, the forecast declared by the India Meteorological Department has increased BMC officer's concern. The forecast suggested late arrival of monsoon by a week and there is also a possibility of below-normal rain. The new commissioner Pravin Kumar Pardeshi assured no more water cut as of now, but the civic officers are monitoring the situation every day and the decision about the water cut will be taken in June end.

"In the last 10 years, we generally received 1 lakh million litres of water in June irrespective of the monsoon arrival dates. If it happens this year also, then we don't have to worry till July end," said a senior officer from the Hydraulic Department. But there was a water scarcity in 2014 after a delay in the monsoon and Mumbaikars faced 20 per cent water cut in July even there were some spells.

"Mumbai has enough stock, but at the same time there is so much water scarcity in the rest of the state that we should use water judicially," said Ashok Kumar Tawadia, Hydraulic Department chief.