Khadakwasla Project’s Water Storage Levels Fall; Pune City Has Just 45 Days of Water Left!

Pune, 16th April 2024: The four dams within the Khadakwasla project, which provide drinking water to Pune, have a limited water storage of only 10.22 TMC. Due to evaporation and the need to reserve water for Daund city and agriculture, Pune has enough water for just 45 days. This situation necessitates that residents use water conservatively to avoid severe water shortages in May and June.

The city’s drinking water comes from the Khadakwasla, Temghar, Panshet, and Varasgaon dams of the Khadakwasla project. The total storage capacity of these four dams is 29.15 TMC, but only 10.22 TMC remains. Compared to the same period last year, water storage levels in the four dams have decreased by 2.62 TMC.

Of the water reserves in the Khadakwasla project, about 3 TMCs are available for drinking water in the city. This supply will only last Pune for about one and a half months. The Water Resources Department has allocated 14.61 TMC of drinking water for Pune annually, but residents use 20.49 TMC per year, averaging 1.70 TMC per month. With increased urbanization in the suburbs and the addition of 23 villages from the Zilla Parishad to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the city now requires over 2 TMC of water per month.

Given these circumstances, a senior official from the Water Resources Department, who requested anonymity, stated that the current water storage would be sufficient only until the end of May.

The Khadakwasla project, which provides drinking water to the city of Pune, is currently facing water shortages due to low storage levels in its four dams. Here’s an overview of the water status and allocation:

– Total usable water storage in the Khadakwasla project is 29.15 TMC.
– Current water storage in the project is only 10.22 TMC, which is 2.62 TMC less than the same period last year.
The sanctioned annual water quota for Pune City is 14.61 TMC, but the city uses 20.49 TMC annually.

Water Allocation Planning:
– Drinking water for Pune city is allocated at 14.61 TMC annually.
– Water loss due to evaporation and conduction is estimated at 2.72 TMC.
– Water required for Daund city and rural areas amounts to 0.85 TMC.
– Water available for irrigation purposes is allocated at 8.54 TMC.

Dam-wise Balanced Water Storage:
– Temghar: 0.29 TMC, which is 7.86% of its capacity.
– Varasgaon: 5.16 TMC, which is 40.27% of its capacity.
– Panshet: 3.68 TMC, which is 34.53% of its capacity.
– Khadakwasla: 1.08 TMC, which is 54.94% of its capacity.

The total water storage in these four dams is 10.22 TMC, which represents 35.04% of their combined capacity.

The city of Pune is facing a significant water shortage and must use water judiciously to avoid a severe crisis. The Water Resources Department is working on managing water allocation and usage to ensure that the city can cope with the upcoming months.