Bhopal: The Upper Lake witnessed a sharp upturn in its water level following nearly 16 hours of rainfall, bringing cheer to residents and offering a welcome boost to the city’s main water reserve.The lake level rose by about 1.5 ft between Sunday night and Monday afternoon, touching 1661.5 ft by 4 pm, a Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.The level is currently at just 5.3 ft short of the Full Tank Level (FTL) of 1666.8 feet. Last year, the FTL at the Bada Talav was reached in about 19 days of rainfall between July and August.The rise has also transformed the familiar landscape of the lake, with extended half of the second Burj, a prominent structure standing in the Upper Lake, almost submerged under increased water level.The rainfall in Bhopal, coupled with showers in neighbouring Sehore district, added to the inflow into the lake through its catchment, including the Kolans river, helping replenish the reservoir.The rise is particularly significant for Bhopal, as the millennia-old water body remains one of the city’s most important sources of drinking water. About 40 per cent of Bhopal’s drinking water is sourced from the lake.