Mumbai: The Tulsi Lake, one of Mumbai’s seven key drinking water reservoirs, began overflowing due to continuous rainfall in its catchment area. Meanwhile, Maharashtra is set to experience intense rainfall as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy rain alerts across several districts for Monday, August 18.The Tulsi lake, which started overflowing on Saturday, has become the third reservoir to overflow this monsoon after Tansa and Modak Sagar. The seven reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai now hold over 90 per cent stock, said officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Located in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tulsi Lake has a storage capacity of 8,046 million litres and contributes around 18 million litres daily to the city’s water supply. Civic officials said the lake overflowed 26 days later than last year, when it had reached full capacity by July 20. The seven reservoirs supplying water to Mumbai now hold over 90% stock, ensuring stable supply for the coming months. The Powai lake, another reservoir located in Mumbai, started overflowing in June, but its water is not used for drinking purposes. Apart from Tulsi and Vihar, the metropolis receives water from the Bhatsa, Tansa, Lower and Middle Vaitarna reservoirs, all located in neighbouring Thane district, and the Upper Vaitarna dam in Nashik district. Meanwhile, the monsoon, which picked up pace in the second week of Shravan, has intensified again over the past two days, prompting the IMD to issue red and orange alerts for 16 districts. According to IMD, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts have been placed under a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall, while Mumbai, Palghar, Thane, and Sindhudurg are under an orange alert. In Western Maharashtra, Pune, Kolhapur, and Satara (ghat regions) are also under a red alert, while Solapur and parts of Pune and Satara have a yellow alert for heavy rainfall. Authorities have urged citizens to remain cautious during the next 48 hours. People are advised to avoid unnecessary travel, stay in safe shelters during heavy downpours, and farmers have been requested to take protective measures for their crops.
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