More showers needed to raise Mumbai's lake levels

MUMBAI: The erratic monsoon has left civic officials and residents desperately scanning the skies for rain clouds to bring an end to the 10% water cut. Even as there has been no significant change in the lake levels over the past two days, officials remain positive that they will rise.
"Compared to yesterday, there was an increase in rainfall in the catchment areas of the six lakes.There has been a steady increase in the amount of rainfall in the past few days and this is a good sign. We just need a few good sh-owers in the catchment areas to boost lake leve-ls," said a senior officer from the hydraulic department.
In the past 24 hours, all the six lakes received a good amount of rainfall, especially Tansa and Bhatsa that got approximately 90mm.
However, the 63mm of rai-n-fall in Upper Vaitarna's cat-chment area did little to boost the lake level and it is still under the minimum required to supply the city with water.
The BMC had decided to continue with the 10% water cut, maintaining that the step has been taken only as a precautionary measure.
The water cut has helped increase the water stocks, wh-i-ch would last for about 70 days. The BMC had earlier introduced water cuts in 2009 and 2010, but it says the lake levels this year are comparatively higher. For example, in 2010, the six lakes only had a 2,16,283 MLD as compared to 2,63,698 MLD on July 19.
The water cut has effectively reduced supply from four lakes-Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Tansa and Upper Vaitarna.
In terms of timings, the cut amounts to 25 minutes for a four-hour supply. "Unless rainfall increases in the next few days, water cuts will be here to stay," a civic official said.