Mumbai, June 30: Mumbai's water situation has become more precarious despite two nights of heavy rain, with negligible rainfall recorded in the catchment areas of the city's five key lakes in Thane and Nashik. Water stock has slipped to 97,666 million litres (ML), or just 6.75 per cent of total capacity.
In another setback, leakage has been detected at the Modak Sagar dam due to damaged rubber seals on four automatic floodgates, prompting the BMC to sanction Rs 98 lakh for immediate repairs.
Leakage Detected At Modak Sagar
Mumbai draws around 3,950 ML of water daily from seven lakes—Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vihar and Tulsi. Modak Sagar supplies about 440 ML a day and also serves as a key balancing reservoir, receiving water from the Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna dams before it is distributed to the city.
The detection of leakage at the lake has therefore raised fresh concerns at a time when Mumbai's water reserves are already at critically low levels.
Continuous leakage at the Modak Sagar dam has been traced to worn-out rubber seals on four of its eight flood control gates. Civic officials said the seals have deteriorated over time due to ageing and weather exposure, allowing water to escape through the automatic gates. The BMC has now initiated the urgent replacement of the seals, which were last changed in 2018.
The need for repairs came to light during the last monsoon, when the Modak Sagar dam was overflowing and water leakage was observed through the flood control gates. Pre- and post-monsoon inspections carried out by the Dam Safety Organisation also recommended the immediate replacement of the damaged rubber seals.
Commissioned in 1954, the Modak Sagar dam is located in a dense forest about 120 km from Mumbai. The dam is 570 metres long, 82 metres high and has a gross storage capacity of 204.981 million cubic metres.
Water Cuts May Increase
As of June 30, Upper Vaitarna and Tansa, two of Mumbai's key lakes, have slipped into dead storage, leaving no usable water above their minimum operating levels. Bhatsa, the city's largest lake, currently holds 37,397 ML of water, followed by Modak Sagar (23,314 ML), Middle Vaitarna (22,351 ML), Vihar (12,635 ML) and Tulsi (1,968 ML).
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At the current rate of consumption, the combined reserves of the seven lakes are projected to last only until August 20. With Mumbai already under a 10 per cent water cut, the BMC is now considering an additional 5 per cent reduction in supply in the coming days if the reservoir situation does not improve.
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