MUMBAI, May 17 -- With the 10% water cut that came into effect in Mumbai from May 15 due to declining reservoir levels, several residents across the city are already feeling the strain, particularly those living in uphill and elevated pockets such as Mulund and parts of Bhandup, which have historically grappled with inconsistent water supply during summers. Besides warning residents against installing electric motors to draw water illegally, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has urged citizens to use water judiciously. However, for many housing societies located in hilly terrain, residents say the reduction has translated into a far steeper cut in actual supply on the ground. One such housing cluster severely affected is the Yogi Hills Complex in Mulund, situated on hillocks adjacent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Residents there claim that even before the official water cut came into force, supply had already become erratic over the past few summer months. "Our water supply was inconsistent even before the water cut started. The last few summers have been difficult with reduced water supply. The 10% water cut practically works out to almost a 50% cut for us," said Nilesh Thakkar, secretary of the Yogi Hills Federation, representing over 750 flats spread across seven societies. "Against our daily requirement of 0.6 million litres of water, we are currently receiving only around 0.3 million litres. This has significantly increased our dependency on private water tankers," Thakkar told HT. According to him, societies that would ordinarily require only one tanker of potable water now need nearly four tankers daily to bridge the shortfall. His own societies, A1 and A2 in Yogi Hills, have witnessed a sharp rise in tanker dependence over the past few weeks. Chairperson of the Yogi Hills Federation, Roopa Shetty, said individual societies are now incurring massive additional expenditure merely to secure basic water supply. "My society, Mount Classic 1, alone spent nearly Rs.2.5 lakh on procuring water last month," said Shetty. Residents also raised concerns over the quality of non-potable tanker water being supplied privately. "We are being forced to use tanker water even for bathing and other non-potable purposes. Some residents have complained of skin infections and have even started using Bisleri water to wash their faces. At times, the tanker water also reeks of a kerosene-like smell," alleged Shetty. Residents said the geographical location of the complex, perched on elevated terrain near SGNP, further aggravates the crisis during summer months when water pressure drops significantly....