Mumbai Water Crisis: Delayed Monsoon Could Lead to Water Scarcity in the City

The water level in Mumbai's dam, crucial for water supply, is dwindling fast due to the ongoing heatwave. As of May 19, a mere 11%—equivalent to 1.706 billion liters—remains across all seven dams. This year's water reserves show a 7% decline compared to the previous year. Mumbai has been granted approval for extra water storage, with municipal authorities assuring adequacy until July 31. Nevertheless, a delayed onset of monsoons could potentially lead to water scarcity in Mumbai.

3950 million liters of water is supplied to Mumbai every day from seven dams namely Modak Sagar, Madhya Vaitrana, Upper Vaitrana, Bhatsa, Tansa, Vihar and Tulsi. 14 lakh 47 thousand 343 million liters of water is required in all the seven dams to satisfy the year's thirst of Mumbai. Mumbaikars had to face a 10 percent water cut since the end of July as the rains turned their backs in the month of June. However, the water cut in Mumbai was canceled due to rains in the month of August. This year also 11 in all seven dams. 79 percent of the water reserves are available, and the state government has provided 230 thousand liters of reserve water, which will quench the thirst of Mumbai till July 15.

Increased evapotranspiration, not mechanisms Climate change has altered the rainfall schedule in recent years. Experts suggest that the accelerated evaporation is linked to the swift evaporation of water in Mumbai's supplying reservoir. Yet, the municipality lacks a system to gauge the extent of this evaporation.