Pune: Following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas over the past week, the collective stock in the four dams supplying water to Pune has reached 4.7 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) as of Friday. This quantity is sufficient to meet the city’s water demand for over three months, marking a significant increase from the previous year’s stock at the end of June.
With a surplus of 2 TMC compared to last year, officials have indicated that they will closely monitor the rainfall and dam levels over the next two weeks before making a decision on water cuts. The collective storage in the four dams has seen a rise of 0.50 TMC in the past five days, thanks to favorable spells of rainfall in the catchment areas. However, authorities caution that it is still crucial to use water judiciously for at least the next month, considering the potential impact of El Nino on July’s rainfall.
The irrigation department official also highlighted the meteorological department’s forecast of reduced rainfall in July, emphasizing the importance of maximizing water storage in the reservoirs. Last year, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) imposed alternate-day water cuts citywide due to meager rainfall in June, which resulted in the four dams’ storage dropping to 2 TMC.
This year, PMC implemented once-a-week water closure in May to conserve water, resulting in approximately 0.5 TMC of water savings during the weekly closure period. The PMC intends to continue with the Thursday water closure and hopes that additional cuts will not be necessary if rainfall in the catchment areas remains sufficient.
In preparation for potential water scarcity, the PMC has already directed developers to use treated water for construction activities and has taken measures to repair leakages to prevent water wastage. Aniruddha Pawaskar, the head of PMC’s water supply department, stated that there are currently no immediate plans to suspend the once-a-week water closure. The situation is being closely monitored, with ongoing coordination between the PMC, irrigation department, and meteorological department.
In neighboring Kolhapur district, several dams have also received significant rainfall in the past 24 hours, including Patgaon dam with 113mm, Kumbhi dam with 95mm, Kasari dam with 51mm, Ghatprabha dam with 45mm, and Radhanagari dam with 39mm. These inflows contribute to the overall water supply in the region and provide relief to areas facing water scarcity.
