It may have poured and Mumbai may have flooded, but in 20 days, the city may not have a drop to drink. The reason is that the city's main reservoirs have received little rain, forcing civic authorities to impose the water cut.
"Lake levels are lower than last year, but the problem is there was rainfall then, now the situation is alarming," said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Pramod Charankar.
Hotels have been asked to water judiciously. Water supply to construction sites have also been stopped.
"We are trying to recycle some of the water we use. We fill less in each glass we serve. But if it gets worse we may have to shut our restaurants," said Santosh Shetty, honorary general secretary, AHAAR.
Civic authorities say that careful use of water for activities like washing and bathing can save over 25 litres per person per day.
The situation seems so desperate that 50 lakh have been allotted to each ward for the upkeep of wells like these. The writing on the wall is clear - if Mumbaikars don't learn to save water today, there will be very little left tomorrow.
