Pune: MLA Shankar Jagtap Urges New Modern Embankment for Pawana River at Pimpri-Chinchwad’s Ravet
Pimpri, 30th July 2025: Pimpri-Chinchwad is poised to benefit from an increased water storage capacity following a proposal to construct a new high-tech embankment at Ravet, the city’s main water source from the Pavana River. Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap has submitted a formal letter to Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, demanding the replacement of the aging British-era embankment with a 4.5-meter-tall modern structure.
Currently, the Ravet embankment supplies 480 MLD (million litres per day) to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), 120 MLD to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), and 30 MLD to the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran. Built nearly a century ago, the existing embankment has become heavily silted, drastically reducing its storage capacity. Jagtap has called for a structural audit to assess its condition.
With the city’s population and industrial activity growing rapidly, the current embankment can hold only a one-day supply of water, far below the city’s expanding needs. In his letter, Jagtap stressed the requirement for a system capable of storing water for at least three to four days to ensure water security.
According to his proposal, the new embankment should incorporate modern technology designed to reduce silt accumulation and allow sediment to be flushed downstream, thereby maintaining higher water quality and more efficient storage. Jagtap also highlighted that excessive silt at Ravet increases operational costs at water purification plants, which could be significantly reduced with a new, advanced embankment.
Experts in urban water infrastructure have endorsed the plan, noting its critical role in long-term resource sustainability for Pimpri-Chinchwad. If approved, the project could vastly improve water management and supply reliability for both residential and industrial consumers in the city.
