As fifth lake overflows stock enough for a year

MUMBAI: Within a span of three days, a fifth lake supplying water to Mumbai on Wednesday evening started overflowing and the water stock in the seven lakes is now

MUMBAI: Within a span of three days, a fifth lake supplying water to Mumbai on Wednesday evening started overflowing and the water stock in the seven lakes is now sufficient for 350 days, virtually ending the city’s worry for the entire year. It is also the highest water stock available at this time of the year in the past ten years.

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Middle Vaitarana, the fifth of the seven lakes which supply to Mumbai, was up to the brim around 7.45 pm. Civic officials said 74 % of the average rainfall required in the catchment areas has been recorded within the first week of August. However, it is for the first time in the recent past that five lakes have started to overflow, in the first week of August. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) expects Bhatsa lake will too overflow before the end of this week.

Tulsi lake was the first one to overflow on July 19. Vihar and Modak Sagar lakes crossed their capacity on August 1, Tansa started overflowing on August 2.

The water stock recorded in the seven lakes supplying potable water to the city touched 13.13 lakh million litres on Wednesday morning, which is over 90% of the 14.47 lakh million liters — the full capacity of the seven lakes.

The civic body requires 2800mm average rainfall for the maximum storage capacity, and till Wednesday evening it recorded 2100-mm rainfall.

Meanwhile, the corporators in the standing committee alleged citizens are still facing water shortage, despite overflowing lakes.

They said that the water distribution planning was not done properly by the civic body. Trushna Vishwasrao, the Leader of House, pointed out that F north ward, areas of Wadala, Sion and Matunga are not receiving sufficient water supply despite the roll back of water cuts early last month.