Thane faces an uncertain water supply future as levels in its key dams, Barvi and Bhatsa, are lower compared to the same period last year. Recent weeks have seen Bhatsa Dam's water levels rise notably, though Barvi Dam has shown a more modest increase. Despite these improvements, both dams are still well below their full capacities, with Bhatsa Dam at 23.40% and Barvi Dam at 26.06% of their total capacities, respectively.
Water Levels Compared to Last Year:Barvi Dam:
- Current live storage: 26.06% (down from 31.70% in 2023)
- Current live water volume: 88.290 million cubic meters (Mcm) (down from 107.400 Mcm in 2023)
- Total dam capacity: 338.84 Mcm
Bhatsa Dam:
- Current usable storage: 23.40% (down from 28.34% in 2023)
- Current live water volume: 220.439 Mcm (down from 266.988 Mcm in 2023)
- Total dam capacity: 942.10 Mcm
Recent Weekly Changes:
- Bhatsa Dam:
- Increase of 19.389 million cubic meters (9.64%) in live water volume compared to last week.
Barvi Dam:
- Modest increase of 2.36 million cubic meters (2.75%) in live water volume compared to last week.
Rainfall Patterns:Rainfall in the catchment areas of both dams has been lower than last year.Barvi Dam:
- Received 271 mm of rain from June 1 to July 1, 2024, compared to 496 mm during the same period in 2023.
Bhatsa Dam:
- Received 430 mm of rain from June 1 to July 1, 2024, compared to 548 mm during the same period in 2023.
While Bhatsa Dam has shown a promising increase in water level over the past week, both dams are significantly below capacity compared to last year. This, coupled with lower rainfall in their catchment areas, raises concerns about the long-term water security for Thane.