The civic authorities in India's financial capital Mumbai are considering cloud seeding amid growing water shortages caused by a lack of consistent monsoon rain, media here reported Friday.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it had consulted the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and a company that conducted a cloud seeding experiment in 1992 for the best time to carry out the process.

The poor monsoon has seen water levels drop markedly at the six lakes that supply Mumbai with 3.3 billion litres (872 million US gallons) of water every day. A 30 percent cut in supplies was introduced this week.

"Over the coming week, we will consult the IMD to work out how to efficiently and effectively carry out the process of cloud seeding," senior BMC official Anil Diggikar was quoted as saying in The Hindustan Times newspaper.

The process involves spraying the chemical compound silver iodide or dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) from an aircraft onto clouds to induce rainfall.

Diggikar ruled out another proposal mooted to alleviate the water shortage, desalination, because of the length of time it would take to set up plants and cost, the domestic Press Trust of India news agency said.

Like many Indian cities, Mumbai depends on the annual monsoon to replenish water stocks. The rains had been due to arrive on June 8 but only hit the city at the end of last month.

Since then, they have been intermittent, raising fears about water supplies and agricultural resources in western Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.

The IMD said 63.4 millimetres (2.5 inches) of rain fell in the Colaba area of south Mumbai in the 24 hours to 8:30 am (0300 GMT) Friday. Heavy rain is forecast for Friday and Saturday.