Water levels in Mumbai's seven lakes fell to 23.52% of their full capacity due to rising temperatures and predictions of a below-average monsoon associated with El Niño conditions.
As a result, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will implement a 10% water cut throughout the city starting on May 15, 2026.
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In a post on X while quoting BMC Chief PRO, ANI said, "BMC issues advisory for all Mumbaikars and appeals for discretionary use of water as the water level in supply lakes is quite low. BMC has also announced a 10% water cut across Mumbai from 15th May onwards: BMC Chief PRO."
Following orders from the state water resources department, which asked for a cut in supplies as a precautionary step to conserve reserves ahead of the monsoon season, the civic body made the announcement on Monday.
Seven lakes — Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vehar, and Tulsi — with a combined storage capacity of 14.47 million litres, provide Mumbai with drinkable water.
BMC issues advisory for all Mumbaikars and appeals for discretionary use of water as the water level in supply lakes is quite low. BMC has also announced a 10% water cut across Mumbai from 15th May onwards: BMC Chief PRO
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2026
The overall storage in the lakes was 3.40 million litres on Monday, according to BMC data. The corresponding figure was 20.26% on the same date last year and 14.73% in 2024.
Due to the current El Niño conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted below-average rainfall this monsoon season.
El Niño occurrences are usually linked to higher temperatures in some parts of India and less monsoon rainfall in June, July, and August.
According to the BMC, Mumbai would get an additional 90,000 million litres from Upper Vaitarna and 1.47 lakh million litres from the Bhatsa reservoir.
🚰 बृहन्मुंबई महानगरात शुक्रवार, दिनांक १५ मे २०२६ पासून १० टक्के पाणी कपात
— माझी Mumbai, आपली BMC (@mybmc) May 11, 2026
💧 जलाशयांमधील पाणीसाठा घटल्याने खबरदारी म्हणून बृहन्मुंबई प्रशासनाचा निर्णय
💧 सर्व नागरिकांनी पाण्याचा काटकसरीने वापर करण्याचे आवाहन#MyBMCUpdates pic.twitter.com/PjpwgH3lQL
A senior BMC official added that the decision to implement a water cut has been taken owing to increased heat levels and fast evaporation of lake waters, while there was enough stock available, and there is no cause for panic.
The nearby communities of Thane, Bhiwandi, and Nizampur, which are supplied by the same reservoir network, will also be impacted by the water cut.
The civic body had imposed a similar 10% water cut in 2023 and 2024 during the summer months as reservoir levels reduced before the beginning of the monsoon season.
The BMC released an alert urging citizens and businesses to use water responsibly after the decision on Monday. Additionally, commercial businesses were instructed to reduce waste and implement water-saving methods.
The IMD had previously warned that El Niño conditions might affect how much rainfall falls in different regions of the nation this year. Water supply management has become a recurring challenge for multiple urban local bodies during delayed or weak monsoon years, particularly in western India, where reservoir dependency is high.
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