Indian Express 20.04.2010
No extra water cut till July 15: BMC
Express News Service Tags : water, mumbai Posted: Tuesday , Apr 20, 2010 at 0022 hrs
Mumbai: Even as the availability of water stock in the lakes remains almost 40 per cent less than last year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday said the city will not have to face any additional water cuts till July 15.Municipal Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya said there was enough water in the lakes to last till mid July. However, the civic body also admitted that it does not have an alternative plan to ensure water supply if it does not start raining adequately by July 15.
“As per our plan, 2,900 million litres of water will be supplied everyday till July 15. We hope monsoon would arrive on time this year. We are yet to come up with a plan in case it does not rain,” said Kshatriya.
This was the first time in the history of BMC that reserve stock will be used, Kashtriya said.
At present, the available quantity of water in the six lakes—Upper Vaitarna, Modaksagar, Tansa, Bhatsa, Tulsi and Vihar — is 2.56 lakh million litres. Last year on the same day these lakes had 4.36 lakh million litres.
Owing to poor monsoon last year, domestic users have been facing 15 per cent water cut while a 30-per cent water cut has been imposed on commercials users since July 2009. The earlier supply of 3,450 million litres per day (mld) has been reduced to 2,900 mld.
The state government had earlier declared that it will allow the BMC to draw an additional 100 mld water from the reserve stocks of Upper Vaitarna and Bhatsa beyond their lowest drawable levels, in case such a need arises.
