Mumbai water crisis deepens: BMC cuts supply, shuts off water to construction sites, pools

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to temporarily pause water supply to construction sites and swimming pools and impose a 20% cut to industrial and commercial establishments amid a deepening water crisis in Mumbai.

The restrictions will come into effect from June 17 and are in addition to the 10% water cut already enforced across the city since May 15.

The civic body said delayed monsoon rains due to El Nino conditions have led to a sharp decline in water reserves.

According to BMC, water stocks in reservoirs supplying Mumbai have dropped to 10.35% of capacity.

Mumbai and its suburbs require around 4,664 million litres of water daily, while the city receives about 4,100 million litres from available sources, the release said.

“Due to the delay in the monsoon, the Municipal Corporation faces the challenge of ensuring that this water stock lasts for the maximum possible number of days,” BMC added.

According to a circular issued by the civic body's water engineering department, all water connections provided for construction activities will be temporarily disconnected, while new construction water connections will not be approved until further orders.

Water supply to swimming pools will also be suspended.

“If applications are received from water-connection holders for enhanced water connections or additional water connections, such requests will be kept pending until sufficient water becomes available,” the civic body said.

The department has also ordered a 20% reduction in water supply to industrial, commercial and sports club establishments.

Water supplied to aerated water and packaged drinking water bottling plants will be curtailed and restricted to the drinking water requirements of workers at such facilities, it said.

The department urged institutions managing public toilets to maximise the use of tanker and borewell water and advised residents and establishments to use well and borewell water for non-potable purposes such as vehicle washing, watering gardens and cleaning roads.

It has also asked organisations such as Central Railway, Western Railway, RCF, HPCL, BPCL, the Navy, MIDC and Mumbai Port to reuse treated water from sewage treatment plants for operational requirements.

The BMC said strict action would be taken if any misuse or waste of municipal drinking water is detected and appealed to citizens to cooperate in conserving water.