Water sources of Mumbai

Mumbai controls several dams in Shahapur Taluka (Thane district) that deliver water to the City and Suburban areas. The Western Ghats trap most of the moisture laiden monsoon clouds which feed these dammed rivers. Currently, these dams/ lakes deliver approximately 3.4 billion litres of water to Mumbai City and Suburban areas daily. Here are the dams/ lakes supplying the city the water it needs to survive:

Dams and Lakes near Mumbai
Dam [1] Year [2] Capacity
(Million Litres)
Overflow Level
(Metres) [3]
Vihar Lake 1860 & 1872 25,698 80.42
Tulsi Lake 1872 8,046 139.17
Tansa 1892 (Stage-I)

1915 (Stage-II)

1925 (Stage-III)

1948 (Stage-IV)

145,080 128.63
Modak Sagar
(Lower Vaitarna)
1954 & 1957 128,925 163.15
Upper Vaitarana 1972 227,047 603.51
Bhatsa 1980 to 2007 717,037 142.07
Middle Vaitarna[4] 2014 193,530 285.00

Tansa and Vaitarna dams supply the Southern region of Mumbai, while the rest supply the suburbs. An underground tank in Malabar Hills is used to store the water.

[5]

  1. ^ Mumbai City Development Plan 2005-25 "[1]"
  2. ^ Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai "[2]"
  3. ^ Maximum Lake Levels "[3]"
  4. ^ Middle Vaitarna "[4]"
  5. ^ Bharucha, Nauzer K.; Pinto, Richa (15 September 2016). "This Bhandup complex is source of safe drinking water to the city". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 January 2023.