Thane Faces Water Concerns as Dam Levels Dip

Authorities and residents of Thane are increasingly concerned about the water storage levels in two major dams, Bhatsa and Barvi, which supply water to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). The latest data released by the district administration paints a worrying picture, exacerbated by deficient rainfall in the region. The Barvi Dam is holding less water this year compared to the same time last year. As of June 18, its live storage is at 25.33%, down from 27.27% on the same date in 2023. The dam currently has 85.83 million cubic meters (Mcm) of live water stored, compared to 92.40 Mcm last year. The dam’s total capacity is 338.84 Mcm. This year, only 23 millimeters (mm) of rain has fallen at Barvi Dam from June 1 to June 18, compared to 7 mm during the same period last year.

Similarly, the Bhatsa Dam is experiencing lower storage levels. As of June 18, the dam's usable storage is at 22.89%, down from 26.96% on the same date in 2023. This represents a decline of 4.07%. Currently, the dam has 215.69 Mcm of live water stored, compared to 254.03 Mcm last year. The dam’s total capacity is 942.10 Mcm. However, rainfall in the Bhatsa Dam region has shown some improvement. From June 1 to June 18, Bhatsa Dam received 115 mm of rain, up from 20 mm last year.

Rainfall data from the Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC) of TMC for the last 24 hours (from 8:30 a.m. on June 17 to 8:30 a.m. on June 18) shows Thane received 1.27 mm of rain. The total rainfall recorded in Thane from June 1 to June 18 stands at 147.72 mm, significantly higher than the 44.61 mm recorded during the same period last year. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts generally cloudy skies with light to heavy rainfall in Thane from June 18 to June 24. Thundershowers are expected on June 22 and 23.

Independent weather forecaster Abhijit Modak told LokmatTimes.com, "The weak monsoon continues, so there's no hope of a significant increase in water levels for dams that supply water to TMC until June 24 at least. The water levels won't increase unless it rains for a significant amount of time. Based on the current weather conditions, the arrival of strong westerly winds for inland north Konkan to northwest Sahyadri Ghats (Lonavla and Igatpuri) may be delayed until June 25-26. Therefore, we can only expect widespread rainfall exceeding 100-150 mm in the last week of June."