The water stock in seven water-supplying lakes of Mumbai fell below 7% on Monday, recording a continued decline amid weakened monsoon activity, the data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) showed.
As per the BMC data, the combined stock of the seven lakes stood at 1,00,279 million litres, compared to the total capacity of 14.47 million litres. These lakes - Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Tansa, Tulsi, Modak Sagar and Vihar - are heavily dependent on southwest monsoon for their replenishment.
Data for individual lakes showed Upper Vaitarna remained completely empty. Modak Sagar stood at 18.47% of its capacity, while Tansa Lake was almost empty. Middle Vaitarna held only 11.53% of its total storage capacity of 1,93,530 million litres. Meanwhile, Bhatsa Lake's total storage remained below 6%.
Vihar Lake contained 45.13% capacity, showing a marginal increase from the previous day. Tulsi Lake had nearly 24.26% water storage, a notable rise from Sunday due to strong monsoon activity. A day ago, Tulsi Lake was at 21.12%, the BMC data showed.
In the past 24 hours, Vihar and Tulsi Lakes recorded 112 mm and 179 mm of rainfall, respectively, contributing to a rise in their water levels. However, the combined overall stock of the seven lakes fell to 6.93% of the 14.47 million litres capacity on Monday, compared to 7.08% on Sunday.
Although the monsoon typically reaches Mumbai by June 11, it arrived this year on June 23. In addition to its delayed onset, weak monsoon activity has prevented any significant recharge of the city's reservoirs.
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Rainfall Activity To Surge In Maharashtra
However, the water stock is expected to surge in the coming days as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall warning for Mumbai, Thane, and other districts where these lakes are located.
According to the IMD, Mumbai is expected to receive heavy rainfall until July 2. The agency has issued a yellow alert for the city, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, light to moderate rainfall, and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph at isolated places. Similar warnings have also been issued for Palghar, Thane, and Nashik.
On June 29, nearly all districts of Maharashtra were placed under a yellow alert by the IMD as rainfall activity is expected to intensify across the state.
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Mumbai Weather On June 29
The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky over Mumbai and its suburbs for the next 24 to 48 hours, with thunderstorms accompanied by moderate to heavy rainfall. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 32°C, while the minimum is likely to remain near 26°C.
Mumbai woke up to cloudy skies on Monday after heavy overnight rainfall. Between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m., Mulund recorded the highest rainfall at 160 mm, followed by Versova with 157 mm. Powai logged 122 mm of rainfall during this period. Most other parts of the city received light to moderate rainfall, the data showed.
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In anticipation of heavy rainfall ahead, residents are advised to remain alert and avoid unnecessary travel. The IMD has warned that heavy rain may trigger waterlogging, flash floods, landslides and rough sea conditions. Low-lying areas face an increased risk of flooding, the weather agency warned.
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