MUMBAI, India - Surprisingly, Mumbai’s water crisis seems to be abating as the water level in the city’s reservoirs suddenly rises despite the rains The Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) reported that at least water of the reservoirs supplying the city increased by 9 per cent in the last three weeks of March. This phenomenal increase has been attributed to a combination of runoff and periodic rainfall in the catchments. While August is generally considered as a dry month, the water level in Mumbai’s reservoirs showed a remarkable improvement. From 74 per cent on July 31, the water storage increased to 83.50 per cent on August 20. This unexpected spike in water levels is due to the phenomenon of leakage, where water takes small channels between rocks and soil particles deep, eventually filling bedrock. The flow plays an important role in replenishing the water bodies.
Pointing out the causes, Purushottam Malawade, head of hydraulic engineering at BMC, said, "This is due to percolation effect and also scant rainfall of 10 to 15 mm in the reservoirs per cent water a." cut-offs were implemented. However, heavy rains in July caused the increase in water reserves to reach 74 per cent by the end of the month.Despite this improvement, the BMC opted to retain cut-offs on account of unpredicted rainfall in August which is largely over
This month and beyond, where the vital dams are located, received minimal rainfall this month, further underscoring the importance of unexpected rise in water levels BMC officials said the increase from a unique combination of runoff and periodic rainfall.
However, despite these positive developments, the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation has warned against complacency. The government insisted that contrary to some reports, major dams such as Upper Waitarn and Bhatsa were not yet fully operational. While smaller dams like Tulsi, Modak Sagar and Vihar have reached their peak, the situation in the bigger dams is around 70 per cent of capacity
The BMC announced plans to review the current rates in October, as the water department insists the water problems have not been fully resolved. The government is set to draw up a comprehensive daily water supply plan in Mumbai, with officials revealing that only 1 per cent of available water can adequately meet the city’s needs for three days .
The recent confusion about the prevalence of dams has been clarified by the BMC. The gates of the central Vaitarna reservoir were opened for industrial purposes, allowing water to flow through the river and be stored in the Modak Sagar lake. The public is encouraged to use water wisely to maintain this essential resource.
