The monsoon skipped two departure dates this month, but finally bowed out on October 23 as the Diwali celebrations started on a high note after two years (2020, 2021) of low-key revelry owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The dreaded ‘October heat’ was partly offset this year by an unexpected 22.63 cms rain, compared with the month’s average of 9 cms.

The south-west monsoon had started retreating from north India in early October, but many parts of Maharashtra continued to be lashed with showers owing to weather disturbances on the Konkan coast.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is pleased as the extra rain saw the lakes supplying water to the country’s commercial capital getting almost full to the brim, with no worries for the next 12 months.

As per the BMC’s final date on water levels released Monday (October 24), the total useful water content in the all lakes is 97.57 per cent, compared with 96.97 (2021) and 95.28 (2020).

This year the city’s live storage total stock stands at 14,12,134 million litres, compared with 14,03,567 ML (2021) and 13,78,977 ML (2020), creating a record for the past three years.

All the lakes/rivers in the catchment areas in Mumbai-Thane-Palghar region – Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vehar and Tulsi – are full now and had started overflowing on various dates in July, August and October, besides Powai Lake, which is used only for industrial purposes.

“With almost 98 per cent water available now, the city shall be free of any unnecessary water-cuts till next August – September. We still appeal to people not to waste water and encourage conservation plus rain-water harvesting or recycling,” said a senior BMC official, requesting anonymity.

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