Mumbai’s Deep Clean: BMC Greenlights Lake Desilting Surveys

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun preliminary work to desilt Mumbai’s key drinking water lakes, with surveys currently underway to assess feasibility and prepare a detailed project report (DPR), according to Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar.

Mumbai depends on seven reservoirs—Vihar Lake, Tulsi Lake, Tansa Lake, Modak Sagar, Upper Vaitarna Lake, Middle Vaitarna Lake, and Bhatsa Lake—which together supply about 4,000 million litres per day (MLD), below the city’s demand of 4,505 MLD.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said that initial assessments, including bathymetric surveys and satellite-based remote sensing, have already been carried out. Studies by the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) and the Maharashtra Maritime Board indicate silt accumulation levels of around 16% in Tulsi Lake and 15% in Vihar Lake. Notably, none of Mumbai’s reservoirs have been desilted so far, raising concerns about declining storage capacity.

A 2022 report under the National Framework on Sediment Management highlighted that sediment build-up can significantly reduce reservoir efficiency and pose risks to long-term water security. Officials noted that the desilting initiative is still at an early survey stage.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.