Maharashtra will implement water cuts across the state starting October 16, the state government announced this week. The move responds to a weak monsoon and growing drought concerns.Household water supplies will be reduced by at least 10 per cent, according to state officials. Deeper cuts may follow if the situation deteriorates.

Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured that aid for drought-hit farmers would be provided before Diwali.Mumbai depends on seven reservoirs — including Bhatsa, Tansa and Modak Sagar — for its drinking water. The city’s mayor, Ritu Tawde, has appealed to residents to use water responsibly and warned that misuse, including for road cleaning and swimming pools, will face stricter rules.A major concern is water loss. Mumbai loses around 34 per cent of its daily supply to leakages, theft and faulty metering — nearly 1,400 million litres a day, according to the mayor.

A special committee will monitor the losses.The government is also moving on long-term supply. The Gargai Dam project has been approved to augment Mumbai’s water, while officials said the situation could get tougher by February-March if El Nino conditions develop.