Vaitarna Dam Gates Open As Reservoir Nears 90% Capacity Amid Heavy Rains

Mumbai’s Key Water Source Sees 3000 Cusecs Discharge; Civic Body Initiates Precautionary Measures

Amid relentless monsoon rainfall in Maharashtra, the Hinduhṛidayasamarāṭ Balasaheb Thackeray Madhya Vaitarna Dam—one of Mumbai’s major water sources—has reached close to 90% of its storage capacity, prompting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to open three dam gates as a precautionary measure.

As of 7 July 2025, the dam’s water level stands at 282.13 metres, just below the full capacity of 285 metres. At 1:15 PM, gates number 1, 3, and 5 were opened slightly (30 cm each), releasing water at a controlled rate of 3000 cusecs. The released water is being diverted downstream into the Modak Sagar (Lower Vaitarna) reservoir, according to BMC’s Hydraulic Engineering Department.

Built in 2014 in Mokhada Taluka of Palghar District, the dam is 102.4 metres high and 565 metres long, with a total storage capacity of 19,353 crore litres. Despite being funded solely by the BMC, it was completed in record time and named in honor of Balasaheb Thackeray.

Thanks to intense rainfall in the dam’s catchment area—1507 mm so far this season—water levels have risen rapidly over recent days. Today’s discharge was carried out not as an emergency but as a safety measure to prevent overflow and manage inflows from ongoing rains.

Across all seven reservoirs that supply Mumbai, the combined water stock stood at 67.88% of total capacity as measured at 6:00 AM today. The total combined capacity of these lakes is approximately 1,44,736.3 crore litres.

The BMC continues to monitor water levels in real-time and urges citizens in low-lying areas to remain alert, even though no immediate flood threats have been reported.