Mumbai has less than 40 days of water and farmers are delaying planting as El Nino stalls the vital rainy season
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenAssociated PressPublished: 4:15pm, 27 Jun 2026The late arrival of India’s monsoon season and below-average rainfall have caused problems ranging from planting delays for farmers to water restrictions for construction sites in its largest business hub, Mumbai.Water shortages have been reported around the country due to the late start of the rainy season, which typically begins in June but has grown erratic in recent years. Climate experts said El Nino, a warming of the Pacific that affects weather around the globe, combined with an already heating planet, is likely to result in weak, scattered rainfall across the country.While monsoon rains reached Mumbai earlier this week, about two weeks later than normal, water restrictions are in place to bolster the city’s dwindling reservoirs. Forecasters said it was likely to take more than this week’s rains to replenish them. The local government has stopped municipal water supplies to swimming pools and construction sites, where it can be used to mix concrete, so there is more available for essential needs.
Lines are stretching for hours at public water distribution sites due to the shortage.
“To collect just 10 litres (2.6 gallons) of water, I have to wait for two hours. I have to go to work, take care of my children and make sure there is water at home,” said Aishah Khan, a 33-year-old domestic worker in Mumbai.
