Mumbai’s civic administration is considering suspending water supply to municipal swimming pools again as the city’s seven lakes hold less water than they did at the same time last year and a 10% citywide cut remains in force.
A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said the decision to restore water supply to municipal pools, taken on August 16 after rainfall improved lake levels, may need to be reassessed as temperatures rise and demand increases. The official said the civic body also needs to account for water supplies until the next monsoon.
The BMC had suspended water supply to municipal swimming pools on June 17. The service was restored nearly two months later after rainfall picked up across Maharashtra and the lakes serving Mumbai recorded improved storage. The possible reversal would again place municipal recreational facilities below household consumption in the city’s water-allocation hierarchy.
BMC data showed that the seven lakes held 13.3 lakh million litres on October 8, or about 94% of their combined capacity. On the same date last year, the lakes held 14.3 lakh million litres, equivalent to 99% of capacity. Storage in 2024 stood at 14.3 lakh million litres, or 98.6% of capacity.
The gap is particularly visible at Modak Sagar, which was at 69% capacity on October 8, compared with 99% on the same date last year and 95% in 2024. The lake receives water from the Vaitarna system and functions as a balancing reservoir for Mumbai’s supply network.
A civic official said water from Modak Sagar was being used before the gates of the Vaitarna system were opened. The sequencing is part of the BMC’s effort to manage available stocks across the interconnected lake and reservoir system, although the civic body has not announced a final decision on municipal pool supply.
The BMC has already restricted water use at construction sites. The official said supply to about 128 sites was disconnected in May, including sites that were paying civic water charges, and had not been restored. The continued restriction affects construction activity while the city manages water availability for domestic and essential needs.
The 10% citywide water cut imposed on May 15 also remains in effect. The continuing reduction means households and other users are already receiving water under constrained supply conditions, increasing pressure on the civic administration to prioritise drinking water and basic domestic requirements over discretionary or non-essential uses.
Mayor Ritu Tawde said the civic administration’s priority was to provide adequate water to citizens. “Therefore, whatever steps are needed to ensure that citizens are given first priority will be taken,” she said.
The BMC’s next decision on municipal swimming pools will depend on its assessment of lake storage, rising seasonal demand and the quantity required to sustain supplies until the next monsoon.
