Mumbai : Heavy and persistent monsoon rains in Maharashtra have led to the overflow of Maharashtra’s Tansa, Vaitarna, and Bhatsa dams in Shahapur taluka of Thane district, bringing relief to the drinking water situation in Mumbai and its suburbs .
Tansa Lake—the crucial water source with a storage capacity of about 14,508 million litres—overflowed on the evening of July 23, around 5:40 pm, after continuous rainfall in its catchment area . It became the second reservoir to overflow this monsoon, following Modak Sagar on July 9 .
As of July 23 morning, the combined water levels across all seven reservoirs supplying Mumbai—Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Tansa, Middle Vaitarna, Bhatsa, Vihar, and Tulsi—stood at approximately 86.88%, a sharp rise from around 53% during the same period in previous years .
Authorities have also opened dam gates to release excess water; around 1,278 cusecs is being discharged to manage reservoir levels and downstream flows .
With these three key dams now overflowing well before the usual late-August or September timeline, Mumbai’s water supply concerns are significantly eased for the coming months. However, local authorities have issued alerts in nearby villages, advising them to stay vigilant as water discharge continues .
Summary at a Glance:
Dams in overflow: Tansa, Vaitarna & Bhatsa (Shahapur taluka, Thane)
Overflow timing: Tansa overflowed on July 23 at ~5:40 pm
Combined water storage: ~86.9% across seven reservoirs
Impact: Substantial boost to Mumbai’s drinking water reliability
Alerts: Residents near dam catchments advised to stay cautious
