'Why celebrate this lake?'

BMC says water levels for Vihar lake are so low that there's no point having a bash on its 150th birthday

BMC says water levels for Vihar lake are so low that there's no point having a bash on its 150th birthday

Vihar, the city's largest lake, with a history that's almost as old as Mumbai, would have had a grand 150th birthday party in November. Except for the water crisis that the city is reeling under. Dinesh Gondalia, BMC chief hydraulic engineer, says, "What celebration? The water level is very critical. In this condition, we can't celebrate."

A file photo of Vihar lake dam overflowing after the heavy rains in July 2008. This year, forecasters have predicted acute water shortage due to scanty rains u00a0pic/Sameer Markande

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently celebrated big when Modak Sagar dam completed 50 years and Tansa dam turned 100.

"For the celebrations, we called VIPs, laid foundation stones and gave away mementos. We had the same plan for Vihar but with the present water crisis in the city, we thought of giving it a miss. Also hydraulic department officials are busy solving the water situation and don't have time for celebrations," says a senior official from the water department. The lake supplies 110 million litres every day to Kurla and some south Mumbai areas and provides three per cent of Mumbai's total water supply per day.

Vihar drying up

The water situation of Vihar lake is going from bad to worse. According to BMC officials, with the present water level, it can supply water only till the end of January 2010. The BMC is therefore contemplating transferring water from other reservoirs to augment Vihar's supply.

Gondalia says, "We are planning to transfer water from Modak Sagar and Tansa reservoir to Vihar Lake for the entire year. This will be the first time in the history of the BMC that water from one source will be diverted into another. We are speeding up the process of laying pipes to transfer the water."

Other lakes that supply water to Mumbai

Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna, Tansa Tulsi, Bhatsa (provides 50 per cent water supply to the city) and Powai Vihar.

Vihar was formed in 1860; it has a capacity to store 26,000 million litres of water. The present status is 8,280 million litres.