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The Maharashtra government on Thursday informed the state Assembly that Mumbai receives an average water supply of around 4,100 million litres per day (MLD) against an estimated demand of 4,665 MLD, leaving a shortfall of about 565 MLD.

The information was provided by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in a written reply to a question raised by MLA Yogesh Sagar (Charkop) during the ongoing Budget Session of the Maharashtra Legislature.

Water shortage concerns raised

In his question, Sagar asked whether it was true that despite the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) supplying nearly 4,000 MLD of water daily, residents in several parts of Mumbai were still struggling to obtain water, particularly during December 2025.

He also sought to know whether people living in slums and hilly areas were facing additional financial burdens to access water due to factors such as inadequate supply to chawls undergoing redevelopment, severe shortages in hill settlements, pipeline leakages during development works, and water theft.

Leakages repaired, pipelines replaced

Responding to the query, Shinde said the BMC has been taking measures to improve water distribution and minimise losses.

According to the reply, the civic body identified and repaired 11,540 leakage points between January 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026 to curb water wastage.

In addition, 58 kilometres of old and dilapidated water pipelines were replaced during 2025–26 as part of ongoing efforts to ensure smoother water supply across the city.

Challenges in old chawls and hilly areas

The deputy chief minister noted that many old chawl buildings in Mumbai do not have ground-level water storage tanks, and therefore receive water directly from the municipal distribution network.

For residents living in hilly areas, water supply is ensured through municipal pumping stations as per requirement.

New projects to bridge supply gap

The government also acknowledged the existing 565 MLD supply deficit, adding that steps are being taken to address the gap and meet future demand.

The BMC has undertaken the Gargai Dam project, which is expected to add 440 MLD to Mumbai’s water supply, along with a desalination project with a capacity of 200 MLD.

Shinde stated that given these ongoing initiatives, the question of delay in addressing water supply issues does not arise.