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Bombay faces

water rationing

BOMBAY: Bombay officials are considering imposing either a 20 percent cut in water supplies or turning off supplies completely for one day a week to India's commercial capital, a city of 12 million people.

Officials in the state of Maharashtra, of which Bombay is the capital, said on Tuesday the cuts would be essential if the region did not get adequate monsoon rains in the next few days.

They said it had been one of the driest phases in the past century.

They said that the cuts could start from September 10, at the end of a major Hindu festival for the elephant-headed God Ganesh, and would remain in force until next July.

Bombay city mayor R.T Kadam said water rationing would be essential to avoid a crisis next summer.

He said he would like to hear from the public whether they would prefer the 20 percent cutback or turning off the taps for one day a week. City officials and community leaders will meet on September 7 to make a decision.-Reuter