Morbe dam 97% full, NMMC shelves water cut plans
Morbe dam in Navi Mumbai is almost full thanks to recent rainfall, with just 125 mm more needed for it to overflow. Water cuts have been shelved to ensure year-long supply. The dam has a total storage capacity of 190.89 million cubic meters and is crucial for Navi Mumbai's water supply needs.
NAVI MUMBAI
Morbe dam that supplies water to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is almost full thanks to the recent spate of rainfall in the region. The catchment area now needs just around 125 mm rainfall for the dam to overflow. The civic body has hence shelved contingency plans for water cuts to ensure year long supply in the city.
Morbe dam owned by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), the only civic body to purchase a dam of its own post-independence, is crucial for Navi Mumbai’s water supply needs.
The Morbe area has had a good monsoon season this year with 3,339 mm rainfall reported from here so far against 2884.42 mm in the same period last year. The weather forecast for the area is positive, ensuring additional rains to take care of the dam’s demands.
The water level in Morbe dam is currently at 87.39 m needing just another 0.61 m rise to fill up to the dam capacity of 88 m and provide a Ganeshotsav gift for the city.
The Morbe dam catchment area received 4,226.80 mm rainfall in 2021 leading to 190.890 mcm water stock in the dam, just about filling up but not overflowing. However in the year 2022 there was lesser rainfall of 3,559.40 mm in the catchment area leading to reduced water stock of 188.088 mcm.
Said NMMC city engineer Sanjay Desai, “Taking into account the current situation, with the dam filled to 97% capacity, it is expected that the dam will fill up this year. Another 100-125mm rainfall and that will happen. It will ensure there is enough water for the residents for the next one year.”
He informed, “We have decided not to implement the contingency plans for water cuts that we had prepared owing to lack of enough rain earlier. The situation presently doesn’t warrant it.”
On the issue of curtailment of water supply from MIDC for some areas of the city including Kopar Khairane and Airoli-Digha Desai said, “Of the 80 mld that we should get from MIDC, we are presently getting only 62 mld. We are working on the issue to resolve it at the earliest so that the entire city gets adequate water supply.”
Box
NMMC – Morbe Dam
Total Gross Storage Capacity – 190.890 MCM (100%)
Current Storage – 185.045 MCM (96.94%)
Total Level Capacity – 88.00 mtr
Current Level – 87.39 mtr
Total rainfall – 3,339.20 mm
Box
Morbe dam is Navi Mumbai’s primary source of water. It is located near Khalapur in Raigad district, at Dhavri river, which originates from Patalganga river. Constructed on the foothills of Matheran near Chowk village of Raigad district, Morbe dam is owned by NMMC, the only civic body to have purchased its own dam after independence.
The maximum height at which water overflows in the dam is 88 metres. The dam has a total storage capacity of 190.89 million cubic metres.
NMMC sources 476.847 mld raw water from the dam daily with 415.40 mld treated pure water from it being supplied to NMMC area. The water is supplied to over 1,27,000 water connections in the NMMC area. 15 mld water is used for gardens and watering plans on the dividers. 37 mld water is supplied to Kamothe node and the areas around Morbe dam.
