Mumbaikars facing water shortage crisis? 8.60 percent water storage left

Despite the early onset of monsoon in Maharashtra this year, Mumbaikars may face a water shortage in the coming weeks due to insufficient rainfall in the lake catchment areas. As of now, the water stock in the dams supplying drinking water to Mumbai stands at a worrying 8.60 percent of total capacity.

While parts of Mumbai have been experiencing sporadic heavy rains, rainfall in the lake regions—which are critical for the city's water supply—remains significantly below expectations. As a result, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is currently relying on its reserve water stock to maintain supply. However, civic officials warn that this reserve cannot sustain long-term consumption if rainfall doesn’t intensify in the next few days.

Sources within the BMC indicate that if there is no substantial rainfall in the next week, the corporation may be forced to implement a 10 to 15 percent cut in water supply across the city. Given the current shortfall, the BMC has urged residents to use water judiciously, especially for non-essential purposes.

"The lake areas are not receiving sufficient rainfall, and if the situation continues, we may have to reduce the water supply. Citizens must cooperate by conserving water," a senior civic official said.

Current Water Stock Levels in Mumbai’s Reservoirs (as of June 18)

Dam / ReservoirWater Storage (%)Upper Vaitarna0.91%Modak Sagar26.05%Tansa9.39%Middle Vaitarna10.67%Bhatsa6.00%Vihar33.30%Tulsi28.62%

These figures indicate that only two of the seven dams—Vihar and Tulsi—have over 25 percent storage, while key suppliers like Upper Vaitarna and Bhatsa are critically low.