Mumbai: Heavy rainfall in Thane and Nashik districts, where important lakes supplying water to Mumbai are located, has boosted the combined water stock to 86.88%, amounting to 12.57 lakh million litres (ML).
Tansa Lake Overflows as Rains Lash Catchment Areas
Notably, Tansa Lake began overflowing at 5:40 PM on Wednesday. With the current water stock, Mumbai is well-positioned to meet its demand for the next 318 days.
The dam constructed on Tansa Lake, located in Shahapur taluka of Thane district, is considered one of the oldest stone dams in the country. The lake has a maximum water storage capacity of 14,508 crore litres (145,080 ML) and contributes about 10% of Mumbai’s daily water supply of 3,950 ML.
Last year, Tansa began overflowing on July 24. Meanwhile, on July 7, three gates of the Middle Vaitarna Lake were opened after it exceeded 85% of its capacity, and Modak Sagar started overflowing on July 9.
Seven Lakes Reach 86.88% Capacity with 12.57 Lakh ML Water
The combined water stock in the seven lakes that supply Mumbai with drinking water had reached 50% of their total capacity by July 4. Due to continuous rainfall in their catchment areas, the reserves surged from 7.34 lakh ML to 12.57 lakh ML by Wednesday.
For comparison, during the same period last year, the combined stock was around 53%, and in 2023, it stood at 50%. Notably, in 2022, the lakes had rapidly filled to 87% capacity by July 20.
Currently, Upper Vaitarna Lake is 76.64% full, Middle Vaitarna stands at 94%, and Bhatsa at 84.86%. However, the two smallest lakes within Mumbai—Tulsi and Vehar—are only 58.75% and 57% full, respectively. To ensure an uninterrupted water supply throughout the year, the city needs a combined stock of 14.47 lakh ML in these seven lakes by October 1.
