Pune: Only 15 Per Cent Water Storage In Dimbhe Dam; Severe Shortages In Villages And Settlements In Catchment Area
Pune, 30th May 2023: Hutatma Babu Genu Reservoir, Dimbhe Dam, at Ambegaon, has 15 per cent water storage as of 29th May. At present, the water is being released from the left canal of the dam at the rate of 600 cusecs. Water is being diverted from the dam for irrigation and drinking purposes.
Due to the increased heat and evaporation, the water storage in the dam is depleting. Due to this, severe water shortage has started to be felt in the villages and settlements in the dam catchment area.
Farmers of Phulvade, Ambegaon, Borghar, Vachpe, Panchale, Adivare, Kushire, Mhalunge, Patan, etc villages in the Dimbhe Dam catchment area are harvesting silage crops in summer. However, due to the scarcity of water, the crops have started drying up.
There are five major dams in the Kukdi project in the Pune district, Dimbhe, Manikdoh, Wadaj, Pimpalgaon Jaga, and Yedgaon, of which Dimbhe Dam is the largest. Through this project, 14129.25 hectares of 46 villages in seven talukas namely Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur, Parner, Srigonda, Karjat, and Karmala respectively in Pune, Nagar, and Solapur districts have been irrigated.
Farmers have to work hard to survive these crops due to a large reduction in water resources. Similarly, water scarcity has arisen due to water sources such as submerged dams, ponds, Shiva period water tanks, wells, and hand pumps reaching the bottom of the catchment area.
