With water levels in the city lakes dipping, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to impose at least 25 per cent water cut till next monsoon from Thursday, October 22.

The step is being taken due to shortage of water, as catchment areas of the six lakes received about 25 per cent less rainfall this year.

Water cut in the city will be 30 percent during the winter, between November 15 and January 15 when the demand is slightly less. Currently, the city has 15 percent water cut.

Municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak said, “I have to take the ‘unpleasant’ decision before I leave the BMC.”

Phatak, who was recently transferred out of the BMC due to a Central Government deputation, will be handing over the charge temporarily to additional municipal commissioner R A Rajeev.

The administration will put a proposal before the Standing Committee on Wednesday for its final approval to impose the water cut.

“To supply water for a whole year, we will have to impose at least 25 per cent water cut until next monsoon and up to 30 percent during the winter,” Phatak said.

BMC supplies 3,400-million litre water per day (MLD) as against the demand of 4,200 million-litres.

The city needs 13 lakh million litres of water supply for the entire year, while the combined water stock in all the six lakes is only 9 lakh million litres.

The civic body supplies water from six lakes — Tansa, Upper Vaitarna, Modak Sagar, Bhatsa, Tulsi and Vihar to the city.

In a desperate bid to augment the water supply, the civic body had even conducted cloud seeding (both ground and aerial) in August, which helped to increase water stocks in these lakes by around 20-25 per cent.

Yogesh Sagar, a corporator said, “The North Mumbai suburbs will be hit the most with these water cuts being imposed, as they hardly get any water during a normal day without cuts.”