Pune: Khadakwasla Discharge to Rise to 22,880 Cusecs Amid Heavy Rain in Catchment
Pune, 31st July 2026: The discharge from Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha river will be increased from 16,247 cusecs to 22,880 cusecs at 12 noon on Friday following a rapid rise in the reservoir’s water level due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas and ghat sections. The move comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the ghat sections of Pune district, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours.
The Khadakwasla Irrigation Division said the increased release has been necessitated by continuous inflows into the reservoir. Officials added that the discharge may be increased or reduced further depending on rainfall intensity and inflows into the dam.
The irrigation department has appealed to citizens not to enter the Mutha riverbed and to immediately remove any materials, equipment or livestock from the river channel. Authorities have also been asked to alert residents in low-lying areas and take appropriate precautionary measures in view of the increased water release.
According to the Khadakwasla Irrigation Division’s 6 am status report, Khadakwasla dam is at 100% live storage capacity, holding 1.97 TMC of water. The reservoir received 17 mm rainfall over the past 24 hours, while inflows stood at 263 mcft.
Among the other reservoirs in the Khadakwasla project, Panshet received 26 mm rainfall and is at 98.38% capacity with 10.47 TMC of storage. Varasgaon recorded 24 mm rainfall and has reached 95.28% capacity with 12.21 TMC of storage, while Temghar received 34 mm rainfall and is at 83.36% capacity with 3.09 TMC.
The four dams together hold 27.76 TMC of water, or 95.22% of their combined storage capacity, compared to 25.48 TMC (87.41%) during the corresponding period last year. Total inflow into the four reservoirs was recorded at 783 mcft.
Meanwhile, the IMD has warned of extremely heavy, cloudburst-like rainfall over the ghat areas of Pune and Nashik during the next 48 hours and advised residents, tourists and those living along riverbanks to remain vigilant. Authorities have urged people to avoid venturing near rivers and water bodies until weather conditions improve.
