As per the seasonal cycles, by this time monsoon should have set in. Even if it’s not regular, Mumbai usually gets those pre-monsoon drizzles that cool the air. But this year we’re in the last week of June and there are still no signs of rain.
It gets cloudy for few minutes, we hope it will rain, and then it’s sunny again, with more humidity then before. I step out even for an hour and come home completely drenched in sweat.
Mumbai city gets 90% of its water supply from rains. Our lifeline are the 7 lakes in the outskirts of the city. Every monsoon, they fill up and that stock has to last us till the next monsoon. Delayed monsoon doesn’t just mean late showers. It means there may not be enough water for the entire year. Somewhere we are lucky, because last year the monsoon was extended almost till mid-October which kept the lakes filled up. There are borewells in suburban areas of the city which are already drying up. Without early rains, there’s no groundwater recharge.
If we don’t get rains this week, BMC has made it clear: water supply cuts of 10-15% are coming. For some areas, it could be alternate day supply. At my farmhouse location, rain is usually in full fledge by now. The lake gets full, everything turns green, bookings for monsoon getaways are full. But this year, it’s dry. If this continues, I’ll have to curtail the number of bookings. How do I host guests when I am not sure if I will get the water tanker or not.
The other problem that will arise is the rise of the tanker mafia. When BMC cuts supply, demand for private tankers will go up. Prices go up. Right now my farmhouse doesn’t have a direct water line — we depend 100% on tankers. I can already see rates going up. Water becomes expensive, and the poorest pay the highest price per liter.
Right now, Mumbai is surviving on hope. Hope that the clouds will finally break. Hope that one good downpour will fill the lakes enough to avoid cuts. Hope that next week the forecast changes from dry to rain.
Let’s hope for the best. Let’s hope the clouds arrive soon. But till they do, we need to act like water is already scarce. Because it is.
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