This year though, the rain has arrived on time, though it still hasn’t hit the city. “Even if rain arrives, it will take at least a week to improve the water table of the lakes. We cannot take a risk till the water level improves significantly,” said a senior official from the BMC.

As on June 8, 2024, a total of 1,40,202 million litres of water was available in seven dams which is merely 6.1 per cent of the water stock as against 14,47,363 million litres of the total capacity. The state government has given permission to use 1,37,000 million litres of additional water from the Bhatsa Dam and 91,130 million litres from the Upper Vaitarna Dam in addition to the current stock so the water may last for another month.

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In 2021 and 2022, the monsoon was active even in October which helped improve water stock. However, in 2023, there was relatively very less rainfall in the month of October. As a result, the water stock was about six per cent less this year as compared to last year.

Previous instances of water cuts during the rainy season, that lasted a few days

2024: The BMC imposed a 5 per cent water cut from May 30, when the water stock went below 10 per cent, and 10 per cent cut from June 5

2023: The BMC fetched reserved stock from Upper Vaitarna in June without imposing water cuts. But as the stock went down below 7 per cent and the rain was delayed, the BMC imposed a 10 per cent cut from July 1 till August 2

2022: 10 per cent water cut from June 28 to July 12, as water stock fell to 9 per cent due to delayed monsoon

2020: 10 per cent water cut from August 5 to 29 due to poor rainfall

A slum in Ambawadi, Dahisar East, which is facing a water cut