Mumbai’s water scarcity risk has deepened after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said the stock in the seven lakes supplying the city is expected to last only until May 17, 2027, with the civic body retaining a 10 per cent water cut amid concerns over inadequate rainfall and faster evaporation.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar shared the assessment during proceedings of the civic House on Tuesday. His comments came after Kishori Pednekar, Leader of the Opposition in the House and a Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator, moved a notice of motion seeking the withdrawal of the water cut introduced in May.
Bangar said the existing stock would last only until May 17, 2027, and argued that the cut was necessary to prevent the crisis from worsening. “The water stock that we have now will only last till May 17, 2027. The El-Niño phase is set to intensify further by October and November, which would result in rising daytime temperatures,” he said, according to the proceedings. He added that higher temperatures could increase evaporation from the lakes.
Mumbai depends on seven lakes for its year-round water supply: Tulsi, Vihar, Bhatsa, Tansa, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna and Middle Vaitarna. These water bodies are located across suburban Mumbai and parts of Thane, Nashik and Palghar districts. During the monsoon, rainfall fills their catchment areas, after which water is conveyed through supply channels and reservoirs to households and establishments in the city.
BMC data cited in the proceedings showed that the combined water stock stood at 96.64 per cent on Tuesday. The corresponding level was 97.57 per cent on the same day last year and 99.09 per cent the year before. The lakes did not reach the 100 per cent mark this year, despite heavy showers in July. June and August recorded rainfall deficits, according to the report.
The civic administration had introduced the 10 per cent water cut in May after the stock fell below 25 per cent and the India Meteorological Department projected a below-normal southwest monsoon for 2026. The forecast was linked to the El Niño weather pattern, in which sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific become unusually warm.
The current position places Mumbai’s water planning under pressure even though the lake stock remains high in percentage terms. The BMC’s assessment is based on the anticipated duration of the available reserve, weather conditions and the effect of evaporation during warmer months. Any change to the water cut will therefore depend on the civic administration’s assessment of supply levels and expected rainfall.
The civic House’s discussion has not resulted in a reported withdrawal of the restriction. The 10 per cent water cut remains in place, while the BMC continues to monitor the seven reservoirs and the weather conditions that could affect the city’s supply through May 2027.
