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Mumbai's Water Reserves Rise to Nearly 70% as Modak Sagar Overflows After Heavy Rain

Mumbai's Water Reserves Rise to Nearly 70% as Modak Sagar Overflows After Heavy Rain

Continuous monsoon rainfall has brought significant relief to Mumbai's water supply, with the combined storage in the city's seven reservoirs rising to 69.74 per cent of their total capacity, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Civic officials said the overall water stock increased by 7.84 percentage points in the last 24 hours, reflecting the impact of sustained rainfall across the reservoir catchment areas.

The latest development comes as Modak Sagar Lake, one of Mumbai's key sources of drinking water, began overflowing at around 2:07 am on Thursday, becoming the fourth reservoir to overflow during the current monsoon season. Earlier, Vihar, Tulsi and Tansa lakes had already reached full capacity and started overflowing.

In a post on X, the BMC confirmed that Modak Sagar, one of the seven lakes supplying potable water to Mumbai, crossed its full storage level during the early hours of Thursday. The reservoir has a maximum storage capacity of 12,892.5 crore litres (1,28,925 million litres).

The civic body said continuous rainfall has led to a rapid rise in reservoir levels, significantly improving Mumbai's drinking water reserves and providing reassurance regarding water availability in the coming months.

Four reservoirs overflow this monsoon

The reservoirs that have reached full capacity this monsoon are:

  • Vihar
  • Tulsi
  • Tansa
  • Modak Sagar

The overflowing lakes are considered a positive sign for Mumbai's water security, especially after years when delayed monsoon rains had raised concerns over water availability.

Latest water levels across seven reservoirs

According to the Hydraulic Engineer's Department report issued at 6:00 am on July 23, 2026, the storage position in Mumbai's reservoirs is as follows:

Reservoir Storage (ML) % of Capacity
Upper Vaitarna 112,187 49.41%
Modak Sagar 128,925 100.00%
Tansa 145,080 100.00%
Middle Vaitarna 121,379 62.72%
Bhatsa 466,116 65.01%
Vihar 27,698 100.00%
Tulsi 8,046 100.00%

Overall, the city's reservoirs now hold:

  • Live storage: 10,09,432 million litres (ML)
  • Total storage capacity: 14,47,363 ML
  • Overall storage level: 69.74% of total capacity

With nearly 70 per cent of the total storage already available in July, the city's water outlook has improved considerably, reducing the likelihood of water shortages if the monsoon continues to perform normally.

IMD issues Orange Alert

Even as reservoir levels continue to rise, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange Alert for the Greater Mumbai region for July 23, 2026, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall.

The BMC has urged residents to remain alert and follow all advisories issued by the civic body and the Mumbai Police. Citizens have also been advised to avoid unnecessary travel to waterlogged areas and stay updated through official announcements.

In case of any emergency, the BMC has asked residents to immediately contact its emergency helpline, 1916, for assistance.

With more rainfall expected over the next few days, officials will continue to monitor reservoir levels and weather conditions closely while ensuring preparedness for any rain-related emergencies.

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