The water level at Morbe dam has reached 71.45m, which is 1.03m less than the level recorded during the same time last year.
As per the official estimates, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) can continue to draw water only for the next 70 days i.e. up to August 18. Thus, the civic body is praying for a good rain to avert the water crisis next summer.
The water department is keeping a close tab on the amount of rainfall the dam area is receiving. “We have an engineer stationed at the dam site to monitor both the availability of water within the dam as well as the rainfall that the catchment area is receiving. Both the data are required for the administration to be abreast about its further course of action with regard to supply of water into the city,” said a senior official from the water department.
Accordingly, in the early shower received in the city on Thursday, NMMC has recorded a total of 11.60mm rainfall at Morbe dam.
While the gross storage of the dam is 190.890 million cubic metre (MCM) as per the daily report maintained by NMMC, the storage as on June 10 has come down to 32.01%, which is calculated to 61.111MCM.
“The daily stock of water level is being done to ensure that the NMMC is prepared in the event of a crisis. As on date, the NMMC is still in a good position and will continue to provide the required quantity of water to the city and other parts,” said Abhijit Bangar, NMMC commissioner.
NMMC provides a total of 472 million litres per day (MLD) of water to the city. After deducting the loss of water estimated at 18.53% caused during processing and distribution, NMMC provides a net supply of 385.13 MLD of water to the city.
“It has already been predicted by the meteorological department that there will be good rainfall in the next two months, which should ensure that Navi Mumbai doesn’t face water scarcity in the next one year,” said Bangar.