Navi Mumbai residents across several nodes will face rotational evening water shutdowns and a 10 per cent reduction in evening water supply from May 25 onwards after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) announced precautionary restrictions amid declining water levels at Morbe Dam and concerns over a weaker monsoon season this year.
According to the civic body, the measure has been introduced as a precautionary step following falling reservoir levels and weather assessments linked to possible low rainfall conditions influenced by El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) patterns.
Officials stated that Morbe Dam — one of the primary water sources for Navi Mumbai — currently holds around 36.470 million cubic metres of usable water stock, which is approximately 19.11 per cent of its total storage capacity of 190.890 million cubic metres.
The administration also cited rising temperatures and increased evaporation losses in the Morbe Dam region as additional reasons behind the move.
Under the revised rotational schedule, evening water supply in Belapur will remain shut on Mondays and Thursdays, while Nerul and Koparkhairane will face evening shutdowns on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Turbhe and Ghansoli divisions will witness shutdowns on Wednesdays and Sundays, whereas Vashi will remain affected on Thursdays and Mondays.
In Airoli, water supply will depend on availability from MIDC, while Digha’s shutdown schedule will remain linked to MIDC timings.
Meanwhile, Kharghar and Kamothe will face complete Friday water shutdowns from May 25 amid Morbe Dam concerns as both nodes continue depending heavily on Morbe Dam supply. The development has once again drawn attention to the growing pressure on civic infrastructure in Kharghar amid rapid urban expansion and multiple upcoming commercial and infrastructure projects planned around the node.
The civic body clarified that sufficient water stock is presently available and appealed to residents not to panic, while urging citizens to use water carefully and cooperate with conservation efforts aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply during the coming months.
