India, May 23 -- Facing a severe summer water crisis, the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has announced 24-hour weekly water cuts from Monday after the Dehrang dam, the city's primary local reservoir, entered dead storage conditions. Nearly two lakh residents in the old Panvel area and nearby villages dependent on the reservoir will be affected by the rationing.

According to PMC officials, the remaining water stock is likely to last only till May 31. A ward-wise shutdown schedule has been introduced to stretch the available supply, though Sundays have been exempted for now.

"The available storage in Dehrang dam has reduced substantially due to evaporation. The reservoir has effectively entered dead storage conditions, and the remaini...