Mumbai minister urges BMC to lift water cut, body considering proposal

Sagar, who is MLA from Charkop Assembly constituency, in his letter to the civic body said the water cut was imposed when the stock in the lakes had decreased. “…there are two more months of monsoon left, and we are hopeful of getting enough rain, which may increase the water level. The BMC should now roll back the water cut and provide relief to residents of Mumbai,” he said in the letter, adding that residents of suburban areas are the worst-affected by the cut.

Mumbai was heading towards water crises due to the delayed monsoon. On June 27, the lakes had only 4.95 per cent water left. But last week, Tulsi, one of the lakes supplying water to Mumbai, had overflowed.

According to data available with the Hydraulic Engineering Department, the current water stock is 50.78 per cent, as of July 18. On July 18, 2018, the stock in the seven lakes was 10.92 million litres (75.46 per cent), and in 2017 on the same date, it was 10.28 (71.05 per cent) million litres.

Last November, the BMC had imposed a 10 per cent water cut in supply and 15 per cent in timing after the water stock in lakes had decreased.