BMC Opens Middle Vaitarna Dam Gates as Mumbai Water Stock Hits 88%

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation opened two gates of the Middle Vaitarna dam in the early hours of Monday after the reservoir's water level reached 282 metres. Strong inflows from the ongoing southwest monsoon propelled the rise in water levels, bringing Mumbai's total water stock across its seven supplying reservoirs to 12.79 lakh million litres, or 88% of total storage capacity.

Civic officials clarified that although the dam's full supply level is 285 metres, the reservoir is deliberately not allowed to fill to its brim. The civic body maintains a buffer to accommodate additional inflows whenever water is released from the Upper Vaitarna dam. The water discharged from the Middle Vaitarna dam flows directly into Modak Sagar, another key lake supplying drinking water to the city.

The steady rainfall across catchment areas marks a dramatic turnaround for Mumbai's water supply over the course of July. At the beginning of the month on July 1, the combined storage in the seven reservoirs had dropped to just 7.18%, raising major concerns over the city's water security. Sustained monsoonal rainfall over recent weeks has significantly replenished the lakes, easing fears of shortages and securing reserves for the months ahead.

Despite the substantial increase in stored water, Mumbai is still reeling under a 10% water cut. The seven reservoirs that collectively supply nearly 4,000 million litres of water to Mumbai every day are Bhatsa, Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar, and Tulsi.