The four dams — Khadakwasla, Temghar, Panshet and Varasgaon — which provide water to the city have a total capacity to store 28 TMC. (Representational image) The four dams — Khadakwasla, Temghar, Panshet and Varasgaon — which provide water to the city have a total capacity to store 28 TMC. (Representational image) INCESSANT rain in the city has forced the Irrigation Department to discharge 2,000 cusecs of water from Khadakwasla Dam into Mutha river. The dam, officers said, was almost full by Friday evening and was likely to overflow by Saturday evening. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), on its part, urged residents on the riverside and members of the band troupe practising for the Ganesh Festival to remain alert in light of the discharge into Mutha river. S B Shelar of the Maharashtra Irrigation Department said that the decision to discharge the water from Khadakwasla Dam was taken seeing the incessant showers in the Pune and other catchment areas in last 10 days. Khadakwasla Dam, which has a capacity to store 1.97 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) water was almost 90 per cent full by Friday afternoon, he said. “As the rains continue, it’s possible that by Saturday morning the dam will start overflowing. Hence, we have decided to release 2,000 cusecs of water from the dam,” said Shelar. Officers said that apart from Khadakwasla, other dams too were also getting filled quickly. According to the irrigation department, the Temghar dam, which has a total capacity of 3.15 TMC, is 35 per cent full. Panshet, with a capacity to store 10.64 TMC, is 75 per cent full. Varasgaon, with a capacity to store 12.81 TMC water, is 50 per cent full. The four dams — Khadakwasla, Temghar, Panshet and Varasgaon — which provide water to the city have a total capacity to store 28 TMC. The average daily need of Pune is 1,150 million litres per day. Pavana Dam, which supplies water to the twin cities of Pimpri-Chinchwad, is 75 per cent full of its capacity of 8.51 TMC, officials said. “We will keep an eye on the water levels and water will be discharged as per the requirement if the downpour continues,” said an official with the Flood Control Cell. The PMC alert stated: “Water is going to be released in Mutha river at a speed of 2,000 cusecs. The citizens are appealed to contact on disaster management control numbers 02025501269, 02025506800/1/2/3/4 to avoid any untoward incident in situation of disaster.” PMC urged to resume water supply to adjoining villages A day after they called for including 34 villages in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, elected representatives of all political parties in the PMC demanded that water supply be started for all villages adjoining the civic body. During a discussion on supplying water to the two villages alongside PMC, elected representatives of all parties representing the fringe area of the civic body said the civic administration is reluctant to fulfil the water demand of adjoining villages citing water dues. “The PMC has disconnected the water supplied through the pipeline to Ambegaon Budhruk villages. I had submitted a demand draft to PMC officers to clear pending dues of water charges of the village and restart the supply. It has not been done till now,” said BJP corporator Haridas Charvad of Sinhagad road area. NCP leader Dilip Barate said the PMC should supply water to all adjoining villages demanding water supply from the civic body as per the state government decision to enable municipal corporations to supply water in the area within 5 km from the civic jurisdiction. Congress leader Arvind Shinde said that it would be improper to supply water to villages without recovering the water dues from them when the civic administration was focusing on complete recovery from residents in the city. “The PMC should instead do the recovery in three installments and allow water supply only after receiving the first installment,” he added. For all the latest Cities News, download Indian Express App

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