Pune city officials say Bhama Askhed pipeline work to start from October 27

The Bhama Askhed dam pipeline project that was halted for over two years will restart from Saturday after the agitating farmers who had given their land agreed to the compensation plan given by the authorities at the meeting held on Friday. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said that the work will start from Saturday itself.

Naval Kishore Ram, Pune district collector, on the instruction of Saurabh Rao, Pune municipal commissioner, had called the urgent meeting with agitating farmers, police and municipal officers on Friday to reach a solution to the pending Bhama Askhed water pipeline project. The plan is to lay pipeline that will provide water from the dam to residents along Ahmednagar road.

Member of legislative assembly (MLA) Suresh Gore (Khed constituency) of Shiv Sena, who was opposing the project, was also present at the meeting.

Rao assured the farmers at the meeting that the process of giving alternate lands to those who have given theirs for the pipeline project will start immediately. PMC officials said that 322 farmers had approached the high court seeking compensation and, as suggested by the court, the state government decided to give them alternate land.

With the farmers agreeing to the alternate land package, the commissioner instructed civic officers to start the jackwell work near the dam from Saturday. Rao promised the farmers that the remaining work of the project will only start after the financial compensation package to them is finalised by the authorities.

PMC has erected a jackwell in the well near the dam for the water coming from the dam to be pumped and come on gravitational force to Pune city without any pumping.

Pravin Gedam, PMC superintendent engineer, said, “Following the commissioner’s order, we have instructed the contractor to start work immediately.”

The Bhama Askhed water pipeline project once completed will address the water needs of residents living in east Pune, including Ahmednagar road, Wadgaon Sheri, Kharadi, Dhanori, Wagholi, Chandannagar and Kalyaninagar. The administration plans to bring 2.8 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) water to parts of Pune from the dam. According to civic officials, over 10 lakh people will benefit from the project.

The project got delayed for over two years as the famers and politicians were opposed the compensation measures taken by the authorities.

Only for drinking purpose

According to a civic official, the Bhama Askhed dam is filled to its capacity and its waters can only be used for drinking purpose as it does not have any canal network to supply water for agriculture purpose.