Mumbai Rains: City's Seven Lakes 90% Full, No Water Cuts Expected This Year

Mumbai, August 16, 2025: Relentless rains over the past several days have brought much-needed relief to Mumbai, not only from the heat but also from the looming threat of a water shortage. According to data released by the Hydraulic Engineer’s Department of the BMC, the city’s seven key lakes—Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vihar, and Tulsi—have collectively reached 90.16% of their total storage capacity, holding over 13.09 lakh million litres (ML) of water as of August 16.

Officials have confirmed that the rising water levels across all reservoirs are a direct result of consistent and heavy rainfall in their respective catchment areas. The current storage is a significant improvement from the same date in 2023, when the combined levels stood at 83.42%, and just slightly below last year’s 93.23%.

Bhatsa, Mumbai’s largest water contributor, currently stands at a level of 139.06 metres with a live storage of 6.35 lakh ML, which accounts for 88.65% of its full capacity. Tansa has recorded a level of 128.48 metres with 1.42 lakh ML in storage (98.08%), while Modak Sagar holds 1.14 lakh ML at 88.49% capacity. Middle Vaitarna stands at 283.69 metres, storing 1.86 lakh ML, which is 96.37% of its full capacity.

The two smaller lakes within city limits—Vihar and Tulsi—are also showing strong figures. Vihar is 87% full, holding 24,098 ML at a level of 79.43 metres, while Tulsi is at 95.88% with 7,715 ML at a level of 138.93 metres. In the past 24 hours, Tulsi recorded the highest rainfall at 133 mm, followed by Vihar with 120 mm. Cumulatively, Tulsi has seen 2,438 mm of rainfall this monsoon season, the highest among all reservoirs, with Modak Sagar close behind at 2,181 mm and Bhatsa at 1,943 mm.

Civic officials stated that Modak Sagar and Tansa have already begun to overflow, while the gates of Bhatsa and Middle Vaitarna were closed earlier this month to regulate the water supply. The Bhandup water complex, which distributes water across the city, received 152 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, bringing its total seasonal rainfall to 1,595 mm.

With reservoirs nearing full capacity and rainfall expected to continue, civic authorities are confident that Mumbai will not face any water cuts this year. The city’s water needs appear well-secured, thanks to timely and widespread monsoon activity across the catchment zones.