Mumbai: Civic body requests citizens to boil water before consumption

Mumbai, October 24, 2024: After several complaints over water quality and turbidity from eastern suburbs and island city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has advised citizens to boil water before consumption for now.

Responding to a rising number of complaints about turbid water supply, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday asked the city residents to filter and boil water before consumption as a precautionary measure.

The corporation had received several complaints of turbid water supply from certain areas in the eastern suburbs and island city, it said in a statement.

Due to continuous rainfall in the catchment area of Bhatsa reservoir over the past three to four days, increase in the turbidity of water in the river channel has been observed since Monday, the statement said.

“The Hydraulic Engineering Department is undertaking necessary measures at the water treatment plant to reduce turbidity levels, and adequate chlorine treatment is also being administered to ensure the water is clean and pure enough,” the BMC said.

Turbidity is an indicator of the level of particles such as sediment, plankton, or organic by-products in a body of water.

As the turbidity of water increases, it becomes denser and less clear due to a higher concentration of these light-blocking particles.

Mumbai receives water supply from seven lakes including the Bhatsa reservoir.

Last week, heavy rainfall lashed Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and the adjoining areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued red alert, predicting heavy rainfall, in Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra on Sunday.

An orange alert was issued in Raigad on Sunday.

A yellow alert was issued for majority of Maharashtra districts – Palghar, Thane, Mumbai, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad and other areas for October 20 and 22.

The IMD’s inference identified a low-pressure area, a cyclonic circulation and trough over the Arabian Sea as the cause.

“There is a lot of interaction between the easterlies and westerlies, which is causing the rain,” said an official from the India Meteorological Department. “After this spell, the rain should cease in Mumbai.”