Mumbai: As the city suffers from below-average rainfall this year, water levels are threatening the survival of even more thriving ‘maximum city’. Residents fear frequent water and electricity cuts along with expectation for further delay in the infrastructure development around the city. This year, the rainfall has been below the average levels seen in the August-June-July months, a trifecta known to have the highest amounts of rainfall in the city as well as the state of Maharashtra.

The data provided by the official handle of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), since late July, water stocks have been dangling around 89% recording 89.09% on August 3, then reaching 89.27% then dropping down to 89.02% on August 10, while the India Meteorological Department advised light-moderate rains in the city. The highest water level recorded this month is on August 14, summing up to 89.38%.

Mumbai has been facing heavy drop in rainwater levels compared to past. Mumbai’s water stock, as of August 14, 2025, reached 89.38%, showing improvement, but it is still below some previous years. Reservoir levels are mixed; Modak Sagar and Tansa are nearly full, while Bhatsa, a major contributor, is in the mid-80s. Compared to the last five years, 2025’s stock is better than 2021 and 2023 but lower than 2020 and significantly less than 2022’s peaks.

How 2025 stacks up to the past five yearsA mid-August look back shows 2025 is healthy but not exceptional for Mumbai’s reservoirs. In mid-August 2025, Mumbai’s reservoirs are at 89.38%, marking a healthy but not exceptional year compared to previous years, especially 2022’s peak at 96.91%.

Check Out Water Level Percentage Of Past 5 Years:

2020: 92.38%

2021: 86.86%

2022: 96.91%

2023: 83.01%

2024: 80.45% but in early August, rising to 94.87% by late August (Aug 27)

2025: 89.38%

In general, both Santacruz and Colaba show significant differences in rainfall, illustrating the influence of the monsoon on these areas. Nonetheless, the precise amounts of rainfall in Colaba are not provided, hindering thorough comparisons with typical rainfall norms.

Residents are anxious about potential water shut-offs and supply problems due to the low water levels in the city. While the water levels suffice for the city’s needs, worries cannot be ignored due to closeness, particularly in a rapidly expanding city like Mumbai where numerous mega projects and developments are occurring simultaneously.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday inaugurated the first phase of the Worli BDD Chawl Redevelopment Project, a landmark initiative touted as one of Asia’s largest urban renewal programme. The event, held at Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagruha in Matunga (West), saw Fadnavis hand over keys to newly constructed flats to 556 eligible residents. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with senior minister and officials, were present at the ceremony.

Details Of The Mega Project

The redevelopment, undertaken by MHADA’s Mumbai Housing and Area Development Board, marks a historic step in rehabilitating long-time chawl residents into modern homes. The first phase covers residents from D and E wings of Building No. 01. Currently, 9,689 residents from 121 old chawls in Worli are set to be rehabilitated, with 65 per cent of the total land earmarked for this purpose.

Eligible residents, who previously lived in 160 sq ft rooms, are being provided ownership of spacious 2BHK flats with a carpet area of 500 sq ft, completely free of cost. The redevelopment plan envisions 34 rehabilitation towers of 40 storeys each, each flat coming with a stilt-plus-six-level podium parking and landscaped gardens on the seventh floor.

A Self-Sufficient Modern Township

The ambitious project will create a self-contained township with facilities such as a commercial complex, schools, hospitals, gyms, hostels, and sustainable infrastructure including sewage treatment plants, solar energy systems and rainwater harvesting. MHADA will maintain the rehabilitated buildings for the next 12 years.

In a nod to the BDD’s century-old legacy, heritage spaces like Jamboree Maidan and Ambedkar Maidan will be preserved, and one old chawl building will be converted into a museum to showcase the history of BDD chawls.

Transit Support & Expansion Plans

Residents have been moved to temporary transit accommodations or have opted for a monthly rent allowance. Eligible occupants are receiving an advance rent of Rs 25,000 per month for 11 months.

By December this year, MHADA aims to complete an additional 3,989 flats across all three BDD redevelopment sites, Worli, N.M. Joshi Marg and Naigaon. Across the 86-acre project footprint, 207 chawls housing 15,593 residents are slated for redevelopment. The N.M. Joshi Marg site will include 14 rehabilitation buildings for 2,560 units, while Naigaon (Dadar) will feature 20 rehabilitation buildings for 3,344 units.

Mumbai: A 32-year-old police constable lost his life after being struck by a train at Nalasopara station on the Western Line of Mumbai’s suburban local train network. The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon while attempting to cross the tracks in a rush to work. The victim, Ganesh Raul, was attached to the Samata Nagar police station in Kandivali and lived in Nalasopara with his wife and children.

Raul Was Running Late, Hence Attempted To Cross Tracks Directly

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Kailash Barve, Raul had requested permission to report to duty late that day. Already behind schedule, he chose to skip the foot overbridge and tried to cross directly from the tracks to catch his regular Churchgate-bound train from platform 4. Around 2:30 pm, a Virar-bound train hit him, leaving him with severe injuries.

The station master immediately alerted the Government Railway Police (GRP) and called for an ambulance. However, Raul succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital, Senior Police Inspector Bhagwan Dange of Vasai GRP confirmed that an accidental death report was registered.

In a separate incident on Monday evening, a 30-year-old man suffered critical burns after coming into contact with an overhead electric wire while travelling on the roof of a Harbour Line local from Wadala to Panvel. The injured man, identified as Ankur Pandey, had climbed onto the train roof at Mankhurd.

As the train reached Vashi station at around 5:10 pm, Pandey reportedly touched the live wire, triggering a rescue effort by fellow passengers and railway police. Viral videos show three to four passengers climbing onto the train to pull him down.

Pandey was rushed to Vashi Municipal Hospital and later shifted to J.J. Hospital for advanced care. Police suspect he may have climbed onto the roof intending to end his life. “We are tracing his relatives and investigating the motive,” said Vashi Railway Police Senior Inspector Kiran Undare.