Delayed monsoon has forced the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to impose a 20 per cent cut in daily water supply to industrial and commercial establishments, as well as sports clubs.
The move comes as the total stock in lakes supplying water to Mumbai has depleted to a critical level of 10.35 per cent as of June 16, the BMC said in a circular on Tuesday.
The municipal body further said that the 10 per cent water cut imposed across the city will continue to ensure that stock lasts longer.
The circular stated that strict penalties will be imposed on anyone found wasting or misusing drinking water.
No new construction connections will be sanctioned for now, the BMC said. Further, all temporary water connections for construction sites will be suspended on an immediate basis.
Heavy industries, including Western Railway, Central Railway,, RCF, HPCL, BPCL and MIDC, as well as the Navy, will now mandatorily have to use recycled or treated sewage water for operational uses under the new order.
Water supply to aerated and packaged drinking water bottling plants will be slowed down to strictly meet only workers’ drinking needs. Water supply to all swimming pools in the city has been temporarily disconnected, the civic body said.
Using drinkable water for washing vehicles, gardening, or cleaning roads has also been banned, with the BMC urging citizens to use borewells or wells for such activities.
The prohibitions also impose rules on public toilets, with operators being urged to maximise the use of tankers and borewell water.
Mumbai’s water supply is heavily dependent on rainfall. The drinkable water comes from seven lakes including Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vihar and Tulsi.
