Pimpri-Chinchwad water supply hit as Ravet dam level falls; irrigation dept and civic body differ

The Water Resources Department and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation are at odds over the city's water supply. The department claims that ample water is being released from the Pavana dam for the city. The civic body says the water level at the Ravet dam has dropped, which is affecting supply. The conflicting claims have raised questions about the availability and distribution of water in the city.

With the level at the Ravet dam down, supply in the city is intermittent. According to the Water Resources Department, 405 million litres a day (MLD) is still being released after the fixed 10 per cent cut. The civic body suspects that water is being stolen from the Pavana river and has sought an inquiry.

The question is why there is a difference between the water released from the dam and the water that reaches the city. No clear answer has been found so far.

Water released from the Pavana dam into the river reaches the Ravet dam, from where the civic body supplies water to Pimpri-Chinchwad. The fall in the dam's level has affected the water lifting station. Supply has deteriorated in some parts of the city, and complaints of fluctuating water pressure have come from several areas. The city was already getting water on alternate days, which had troubled residents. The change in the timetable has now added to their difficulties.

Before the agreement, the civic body drew 450 MLD daily from the Pavana river. After the 10 per cent cut, this has come down to 405 MLD. The Water Resources Department says water is being released from the dam according to this fixed quantity and that a daily record is kept. However, the figures for water released from the dam and water lifted by the civic body do not tally, so the actual situation remains unclear.

According to Ajay Suryawanshi, assistant city engineer of the civic body, the low water level at the Ravet water lifting station has affected supply. Apart from a possible decline in the quantity of water coming from the dam, there is also a suspicion of water theft from the Pavana river. An inquiry into the matter is under way.

Questions are now being asked about why the supply plan went awry despite the 10 per cent cut having been fixed in advance. Along with an inquiry into the reasons for the fall in the Ravet dam's level, a report comparing the water released from the dam, the water in the river and the water lifted by the civic body is needed. For now, caught between the claims of the two departments, residents do not know when they will get regular and full water supply.