No Water Cuts Expected in Pune This Summer, Say Officials as Dam Levels Improve

Pune, 11th February 2026: Pune residents are unlikely to face water cuts in the coming summer, as storage levels in the four key dams supplying the city remain significantly higher than last year. Officials said the combined reserves in Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar dams provide a strong buffer against seasonal shortages.

According to the irrigation department, the four dams together hold about 19.5 TMC of water, or roughly 67 per cent of their total capacity. This is around 2.5 TMC more than what was available on the same date last year. The additional stock is estimated to be enough to meet nearly 45 days of Pune’s water requirement.

Officials attributed the healthy reserves to the extended monsoon, which helped refill the reservoirs well into the later part of the season. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) water supply department said it has not received any instruction from the irrigation department regarding any reduction in supply to the city.

“With sufficient storage in all four dams of the Khadakwasla circle and also in Bhama Askhed, we are expecting uninterrupted water supply even during peak summer,” a senior PMC official said.

Meanwhile, the state irrigation department has decided to stop releasing water for winter crops as the winter season comes to an end. The current rotation for winter irrigation is being wrapped up, and the next phase, likely to begin in March, will be treated as a summer rotation.

A final call on how the remaining water will be allocated between urban and agricultural needs will be taken at the upcoming Khadakwasla Canal Committee meeting. The meeting will be chaired by Guardian Minister Sunetra Pawar and is expected in the next couple of weeks.

Because of last year’s prolonged monsoon, demand for irrigation water from rural areas was delayed. Water releases that usually start in mid-October began only in December. Officials said calculations are now underway to assess the city’s and agriculture’s water needs over the next five months, but stressed that crop irrigation schedules will not affect Pune’s drinking water supply.

At the same time, the irrigation department has advised PMC to work towards lowering daily water consumption. The civic body has also moved the state water tribunal over the long-standing issue of its sanctioned quota versus the city’s actual requirement. PMC officials said they do not expect any tribunal order before summer that would disrupt current supply arrangements.