India, April 29 -- The city will face a 10% water cut from May 15 as dwindling lake levels and fears of an erratic monsoon force the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to tighten supply, civic chief Ashwini Bhide said on Tuesday. The move is aimed at stretching water stocks till at least mid-August, even if rains are delayed under El Nino conditions, Bhide said.

The civic body has also sought additional carry-over storage from the state. "This buffer stock is sourced from Bhatsa and Vaitarna lakes, with a request placed for 147 million cubic metres from Bhatsa and 90 million cubic metres from Vaitarna, taking the total to 237 million cubic metres," she said.Bhide said that when the current storage is combined with the expected carr...