Despite Late Monsoon Rains, Mumbai Facing 30% Cut In Water Supply As Reservoirs Shrink - AFP

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India's financial and entertainment capital is facing a 30 percent cut in water supplies, despite an overnight deluge of monsoon rains on Wednesday that left some streets and homes flooded. The civic authorities in Mumbai introduced the reduction on Tuesday as levels ran "precariously low" at the six lakes that supply the city's 18 million population with 3.3 billion litres (872 million US gallons) of water a day.

Like many Indian cities, Mumbai depends on the annual monsoon to replenish water stocks. The rains had been due to arrive on June 8 but only hit the city at the end of last month. Since then, they have been intermittent. Heavy rainfall overnight Tuesday-Wednesday left many lower-lying areas under water and forced pedestrians to wade shin-deep through muddy water. Colaba, in south Mumbai, received 73.7 millimetres (2.9 inches) of rain in the 24 hours to 8:30 am (0300 GMT), according to the Indian Meteorological Department.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official Anil Diggikar was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency: "We are facing a shortage of 250 million litres of water per day." He said the one lake with higher levels can only supply the eastern suburbs, hitting the more prosperous southern and western parts of the metropolis.

Deputy municipal commissioner Pramod Charankar told the Times of India that there was currently enough water only for the next 20 days in those areas unless the monsoon picked up.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Mumbai_facing_water_cuts_as_lakes_run_dry_999.html