The Indian Express                 16.03.2013

No water cuts this summer, says BMC

While several parts of Maharashtra are reeling under severe drought, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said there will be no water cuts in the city this summer.

"Lake levels are healthy and we do not see any reason to impose water cuts as of now. There is enough water to last till July-end. However, we are hoping for a good monsoon," said R Bamble, chief engineer of hydraulic department.

Owing to water scarcity, civic administration imposed a 10 per cent water cut across the city from July 1 to September 15, 2012.

It also contemplated cloud seeding last year, although the method had failed on previous occasions.

The proposal, the cost of which had gone up to Rs 24 crore from Rs 12 crore last year, had drawn flak and was subsequently scrapped.

The civic administration, however, has decided to make cloud seeding a regular feature from this year to augment water supply to the city.

Mumbai has six lakes — Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar, Tulsi, Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarana — that supply 3,400 million litres of water daily.

The civic body also hopes to increase the water supply to the city from the Middle Vaitarna dam, which was completed last year.

This will provide an additional 455 million litres of water daily. The project was marked with delays and its cost rose by almost 60 per cent to Rs 2,200 crore from Rs 1,300 crore. The civic administration has also begun awareness programmes about rainwater harvesting.

"This is the time when societies and residents can take steps to start rainwater harvesting during monsoon," said a civic official.