BMC initiates usage of reserve water stock

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MUMBAI, Maharashtra: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started using the reserve water stock as the water levels in seven lakes are rapidly decreasing.

The stock has decreased to 7.59 per cent (1.09 lakh million litres) of the total live storage. An official from the civic hydraulic department stated that, “We have started to draw water from the Upper Vaitarna as per requirements. We have planned to use the reserve stock until the arrival of monsoon or till July 30. Whenever enough water gets accumulated in the lakes, we will stop drawing the water from the reserves and we will also try to surrender the water back to the state.”

The Maharashtra irrigation gave a go- ahead to the BMC department in early March, according to officials.

In a precautionary move, BMC slashed water supply by five per cent, which will be increased to 10 per cent from June 5.

Earlier this year, when the water levels at the lakes started depleting at an alarming rate and weather experts sounded the alarm over a hotter summer, the civic body requested an additional 93,500 million liters of water from Upper Vaitarna and an extra 1.37 lakh million liters of water from the Bhatsa lake. The state government approved nearly 15.76 percent of this request.