Dry time for west, south

With a20% water cut coming into force today, residents of the western suburbs and theisland city can look forward to trying times. Civic sources have said theeastern suburbs will mostly continue to face a 10% cut.There will beexceptions, like the eastern suburbs of Ghatkopar and Mulund, which get waterfrom the line delivering to the western suburbs. They will suffer. Meanwhile,Parel and Mazagaon in the island city will not suffer much as they receive waterfrom the line delivering to the eastern suburbs.Those living at thenorthern tip of the western suburbs and the southern tip of the island city willbear the brunt of the cut, which has been imposed due to the delayedmonsoon.Civic officials said residents in the eastern suburbs wouldcontinue to face just a 10% cut as their supply is from the Bhatsa, which hassufficient stock to last another 35 days. "If any more water has to be heldback, it has to be held back from the Tansa and Upper and Lower Vaitarna, whichsupply mostly to the western suburbs and island city. The stock there is enoughfor only another 15 days. The lake levels there have dipped dangerously low ascompared to other lakes,'' said a senior BMC official.Presently,1,300 million litres a day (mld) is brought from the Tansa and Upper and LowerVaitarna to the Bhandup water treatment plant. Another 690 mld is sent to theplant from Bhatsa. However, the Bhandup plant can only treat 1,910 mld, of which1,810 mld is sent to the western suburbs and island city and 100 mld is sent toGhatkopar-Mulund. The 20% cut, sources said, will be effected at the Bhandupplant, so only 1,448 mld will go to the western suburbs and island city and 80mld to Ghatkopar-Mulund."Of the treated water, only 100 mld goes tothe eastern suburbs and the remaining is pumped to the west and island city.That should give you an idea of how the cut will be divided,'' an officialsaid.From Bhatsa, 1,025 mld is pumped to Panjrapur for filtration.Through a network of pipes on the Thane-Nashik bypass, it is brought to theeastern suburbs.Officials said the full effect of the cut will begauged only on Monday, since for the first couple of days housing societies andbuildings may store enough water in anticipation. "Residents of the easternsuburbs may manage to tide over the crisis, even as areas in the west and islandcity will receive water for a few hours at different times of the day,'' saidPramod Charankar, deputy municipal commissioner.The BMC isdelivering tankers to affected areas. "We have 1,200 tankers, with which wedistribute about 100 mld. There are 1,400 wells and borewells. We are able tolift water from only 400 because the others are not in good condition. We willget them cleaned so they can be used,'' said civic chief JairajPhatak.The water crisis: 6 lakes generate 3,470 millionlitres a day (mld) of water for Mumbai and parts of ThaneLakes |Tulsi 18 mld | Vihar 110 mld | Lower Vaitarna (Modak Sagar) 455 mld | Tansa 485mld | Upper Vaitarna 687 mld | Bhatsa 1,715 mldShortfallis set to get worse with the BMC's 20% water cut coming into forcetodayWESTERN SUBURBS, ISLAND CITY,GHATKOPAR-MULUNDSupply | 1,910 mld from Bhandup water treatmentplant.1,810 is released to western suburbs and island city; 100 mldto Ghatkopar-Mulund. With a 20% cut, only 1,448 mld will go to the westernsuburbs and island city and 80 mld to Ghatkopar-MulundREST OFEASTERN SUBURBS, PAREL-MAZAGAONSupply | 1,025 mld fromBhatsa.Bhatsa's lake level is not in the danger zone, so officialssay the 10% cut will continue here. Around 922.5 mld will continue to bereleased to the Bhandup-Vikhroli zone, Chembur, Mankhurd, Govandi, Parel andMazagaon