Mumbai is likely to witness “generally cloudy skies along with intermittent moderate spells of rain in city and suburbs,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest weather report on Tuesday.
Raigad and Palghar districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall at isolated places, IMD said, issuing a yellow alert for these two districts.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, a high tide of 3.28 metres is likely to hit the city at 10.26 pm. A low tide of 2.29 metres is expected at 4.53 pm and another of 0.94 metres at 4.25 am on Wednesday.
In the past 24 hours starting 8 am Monday, the Island City and western suburbs have recorded an average rainfall of 1 millimetre, while the eastern suburbs received 2 millimetres of rainfall.
Lake levels in seven reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai surge to 71.18 per cent
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data released on Tuesday, the total water stock in the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai now stands at 10,30,218 million litres. This is 71.18 per cent of the total required stock for the season.
Significant rainfall over the past 24 hours has contributed to rising levels, with the Middle Vaitarna registering the highest rise of 1.99 metres, followed by the Modak Sagar at 1.22 metres.
Among individual lakes, Bhatsa holds the largest volume at 4,36,902 million litres, while Vihar and Tulsi remain on the lower side with 13,206 ML and 3,779 ML respectively.
Notably, Upper Vaitarna’s release was stopped on June 9 and the Middle Vaitarna WSCOP gate remains closed.
The combined lake system received 678 mm of rainfall, with Modak Sagar recording the highest at 1,401 mm.
Rainfall across the Bhandup Complex alone was 4 mm for the day. Despite healthy storage levels, ongoing monitoring and efficient distribution will be key to sustaining the city through the monsoon and beyond.
Mumbai airport saves 26 lakh litres of rainwater every monsoon
While the showers that lash the city during the monsoon season invariably throw day-to-day life out of gear for Mumbaikars, causing annoyance, they help Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) save about 26 lakh litres of water annually.
Rainwater harvesting has been promoted globally as a sustainable practice to ensure water is conserved and reused properly. The curved terrace surface of the airport is used to collect rainwater, which is further stored in underwater tanks.
Water is also collected by the trees planted around the airport to incorporate it directly into the groundwater. This happens as the trees intercept and absorb rainwater, which then slowly percolates through the soil and into the groundwater. This process is a natural form of water conservation and can help replenish underground aquifers.
As a critical airport in the country that handles approximately 950 aircraft movements daily, CSMIA uses a vast amount of water for sanitation purposes and usage in washrooms. The airport lets the first rainwater run off as it contains dust and impurities, after which it collects all the water, which is further treated and used in the washrooms of both terminals.
Vanshika Patel, a flyer, said, “I have always wondered if airports save rainwater for future usage, and if they are actually saving up to 26 lakh litres every year, that is a good step towards sustainability.”
