The Mumbai civic body, pinning hopes on a bountiful monsoon, may do away with the ongoing water cuts if seven lakh million litres of water is collected in the lakes by mid-July.

"We are closely monitoring the situation. There is rainfall in catchment areas. Lakes may take time to fill up because the land in the catchment areas is totally dry," a senior civic official told PTI here.

At present, the lakes have a total available stock of 85,319 million litres per day (mld) against 2,26,872 mld last year.

"If there is regularity in rainfall in the catchment area then lakes will fill up. We intend to withdraw the water cuts once there is seven-eight million litres of water in all the lakes," the official said.

We will think of reducing the cuts if the rainfall is exceptionally good and the lake levels rise, the official added.

Last year's poor monsoon forced the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to cut water supply to residential users by 15 per cent and to commercial establishments by 30 per cent.

According to the data available with the Hydraulic Department, since June this year, Upper Vaitarna recorded 57.80 mm of rainfall followed by 45.20 mm at Vihar, 29 mm at Tulsi, Tansa with 26.80 mm, Bhatsa 26.20 mm and Modak Sagar recorded 14 mm of rainfall.

"There has been rainfall in the catchment but it is too early to say that it is a positive sign as rain water is getting percolated," the official said.

MCGM maintains that it will be able to supply 2,900 mld till mid-July against the actual demand of 4,500 mld. "We will review the water cut only after July 15 and an appropriate decision will be taken," the official said.