Lakes have only 19 pc of stock needed

The six lakes that supply water to the city have only 19 per cent of the required water stock so far. This year, these lakes need at least 16,000 mm of rain if water cuts are to be done away with.

The six lakes that supply water to the city have only 19 per cent of the required water stock so far. This year, these lakes need at least 16,000 mm of rain if water cuts are to be done away with.

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The average rainfall in each catchment is between 2,100 mm and 2,400 mm. Vihar has already received more than 1,600 mm of rain and Tulsi has received more than 1,100 mm this season. The four other lakes have recorded between 500 mm and 880 mm of rainfall.

"Compared to last year, the rainfall has been good but not enough because lakes have not even received 20 to 25 per cent of their stock," Municipal Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya said.

An official from the municipal corporation’s Water department said, "We need at least another 10,000 mm of rainfall in these catchment areas to bring lake levels to normal and up to 17,000 mm to cover last year’s backlog."

Kshatriya said the BMC is optimistic and indicated that it is not interested in cloud seeding.

The corporation has also decided to install close circuit television cameras at all its dams and water purification plants at Bhandup and Pise-Panjrapur.

This is to keep these spots safe from terror threats. "These CCTV cameras will also capture movements at night and will be monitored by security guards in the control room," said Aseem Gupta, additional municipal commissioner.

The civic standing committee cleared a proposal of Rs 26.66 crore for this on Friday.

The BMC has made a budgetary provision of Rs 15 crore for installing the CCTV cameras. The rest will be provided for in the budget for 2011-12.