Use water judiciously to avoid shortage: Irrigation dept tells PMC 

In the wake of dropping water levels in the dams around Pune, the Irrigation department has asked the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to use water judiciously ahead of the summer season.  

The four dams of the Khadakwasla project—Khadakwasla, Temghar, Panshet, and Varasgaon—supply drinking water to Pune city. Currently, these dams hold a collective storage of 15.55 TMC water, which will be enough to last only two and a half months. However, the city needs about 2.5 Thousand Million Cubic feet (TMC) more water to last until the monsoon begins. If water is not used carefully, the city could be staring at a water crisis in the coming months.  

Shweta Kurhade, executive engineer of the Khadakwasla Irrigation division, said, “As a precaution, PMC should reduce water usage by 200 million litres per day (MLD). Currently, PMC uses 1,650 MLD daily. While the water level in the dams is satisfactory, it is always better to take precautions since we cannot predict the summer situation.” 

 Pune needs more water  

The Water Resources Department has approved a yearly water quota of 14.61 TMC for Pune. However, the city in reality consumes about 21 TMC per year. This means Pune needs around 1.75 TMC of water every month. Due to rapid urbanisation and the inclusion of 23 villages into PMC the city’s monthly water demand has increased to over 2 TMC. Additionally, Khadakwasla Dam supplies water to Daund municipality and nearby rural villages. Water is also released twice for rabi and summer crops, which further increases the demand.