The Business Line 16.07.2009
30% water supply cuts will stay despite incessant rains
Our Bureau
Mumbai, July 15 The rains over the last three days have been the best piece of news to Mumbaikars. The levels at Modak Sagar, Tansa and Tulsi have risen by 25 to 74 per cent but this is still not adequate, according to a senior official of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). As a result, the water supply cuts will continue.
“The lake levels are still far from satisfactory but the rainfall in the last 72 hours has brought some relief. However, we will not alter the 30 per cent water supply cut which is already in place. We will consider revising this decision only when levels in the lakes rise to 50 per cent,” said Mr S.S. Korlekar, Chief Hydraulic Engineer, MCGM. The issue here is that the lakes have only received 30-40 per cent of the rainfall over the last three days.
According to data supplied by the hydraulic department, the level at Modak Sagar has reached 149.96 metres (which is only 6.70 metres above the lowest drawable level of 143.26 metres) while the full supply level is 163.15 metres. The recent rains have helped raise the useful contents by 25 per cent at 34,330 million litres, while on Sunday the level was 27,519 million litres. Tansa lake level has reached 120.07 metres, which is merely 1.20 metres above lowest drawable level of 118.87 metres. The full supply level is 128.63 metres. In the last three days, useful water content in the lake has risen by 74 per cent at 13,278 million litres from 7,652 million litres.
Tulsi lake level has reached 134.97 metres, which is 3.90 metres above lowest drawable level of 131.07 metres. The full supply level is 139.17 metres. In the last three days, the useful water content in the lake has risen by 43 per cent at 3,179 million litres from 2,217 million litres.
