Mumbai Rains: Water Levels In City's 7 Lakes Cross 73% Mark Amid Consistent Heavy Showers; Modak Sagar Lake Overflows (Video)

Mumbai: Mumbai’s water reserves received a significant boost as lake levels supplying the city crossed 73 per cent of their total useful storage capacity on Wednesday. According to the Hydraulic Engineer’s Department report released at 6:00 am, the seven lakes that supply water to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region now hold over 10.5 lakh million litres of water, offering much-needed relief in the middle of the monsoon season.

Modak Sagar Lake Overflows

The most notable development came from Modak Sagar Lake, which began overflowing early this morning at around 6:27 am. In response, one of the gates of the lake was opened by one foot to release excess water at a discharge rate of 1,022 cusecs per second. Modak Sagar has now reached 99.99 per cent of its full storage capacity, which is 12,892.5 crore litres or 128,925 million litres.

Details On Lake Levels

Other major lakes have also seen considerable rises in their levels. Upper Vaitarna has reached 73.18 per cent of its useful live storage with 166,150 million litres. Tansa stands at 77.66 per cent with 112,576 million litres. Bhatsa, which contributes the most to the city’s water supply, is currently at 62.01 per cent capacity, storing over 4.45 lakh million litres. Middle Vaitarna, though still lagging, has touched 20.37 per cent of its live capacity.

Smaller lakes like Vihar and Tulsi are also showing positive signs. Vihar is now at 47.97 per cent, while Tulsi stands at 62.61 per cent. Together, the seven lakes present a combined total of over 73 per cent useful content, compared to just over 20 per cent during the same period last year.

Recent rainfall has been a major factor in this rise. Vihar Lake recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours at 196 mm, followed by Bhatsa with 67 mm and Modak Sagar with 40 mm. The total rainfall recorded today across all lake zones is 686 mm. Bhandup Complex, which plays a key role in the city’s water treatment and distribution, recorded 8 mm.

Authorities had already begun controlled water releases from Upper Vaitarna on July 5 and Middle Vaitarna on July 7 to manage the inflow. The situation continues to be monitored closely to avoid any flood-like situations downstream. With the lakes showing a steady rise, the civic administration is expected to review the current water cut policy and may soon restore full supply if the trend continues.