Despite poor rainfall, BMC says water stock will last till July 15

Dry Spell Likely To Continue For Another 2-3 Days, Says Met Dept The dry spell is likely to continue for another two-three days but is unlikely to affect the lake levels. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has claimed that the stock in the lakes supplying water to the city will last till July 15.      After Sunday's downpour, the city has recorded negligible rainfall in the last three days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the monsoon was yet to revive. "The monsoon is subdued. This situation is expected to last another two-three days. There has not been any movement in the northern limit of the monsoon," said N Y Apte, deputy director general, IMD, Mumbai.      The west coast trough, from northern Maharashtra to Kerala, has weakened and so have the accompanying winds. The trough now extends from Karnataka to Kerala. It will take about three days for an active trough to build and form rain-bearing clouds, said a Met update.      The typhoon around South China Sea is unlikely to affect the south-west monsoon, including the rains in Mumbai, said Apte. This year, the onset of the monsoon was delayed by a week. The normal arrival date in Mumbai is June 10.      Meanwhile, the BMC said the water situation was under control. "There is nothing to worry about for the time being as the catchment areas around the lakes have received some rainfall. The situation is normal. The water stock in the lakes will last till July 15," said a senior hydraulic department official.      Temperatures recorded at the two observation stations—Colaba and Santa Cruz—on Wednesday were on the higher side. While Colaba recorded a maximum of 33 degrees Celsius, Santa Cruz registered 32.6 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity was 72% at Colaba and 67% at Santa Cruz. Since June 1, Colaba has received 70.1mm of rainfall and Santa Cruz 138.6mm.      "Some amount of water is kept as reserve over and above the lake level. This can be used during emergencies," the official said. "Once it starts raining properly, the water level in the lakes will rise and there will be more than enough stock for the city."