The BMC has announced a 5% water cut in the city and suburbs from March 15 to April 24. This cut is not related to the depleting stock in the seven lakes that supply potable water to the city. The decision is a result of the ongoing maintenance work at the water filtration plant at Bhandup.
The BMC supplies 3,900 million litres of water daily (MLD) to the city, which is purified at the filtration plant at Bhandup complex and Pise. It is the largest treatment plant in Asia with a cumulative capacity of 2,810 MLD. There are two units that can filter about 1,910 MLD and 900 MLD at Bhandup. An official said that the gigantic tanks in the filtration plant require cleaning prior to the monsoon and this work will take nearly one month.
Meanwhile, the seven lakes are a critical stock of 37%, the lowest in the last three years. The state government has already allowed the BMC to use an additional stock of up to 15% from Upper Vaitarna and Bhatsa.
Mumbaikars earlier faced a week-long 15% water cut imposed on February 27, after three transformers at the Pise pumping station were burnt in a fire incident.
