Pune's four dams at 94% storage as inflow drops to zero; Khadakwasla at under half

With the rain having stayed away, drought conditions in Pune district are growing more serious. The water stocks in the four dams of the Khadakwasla project, which meet the city's water needs, are now being watched with concern.

According to figures available at 6 am on Thursday (October 1), the Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar dams together hold 27.41 TMC, or 94.06 per cent of their capacity. Inflow into the four dams was recorded as zero over the past 24 hours.

At the same time last year, the four dams held 29.15 TMC, or 100 per cent. This year's storage is therefore 1.74 TMC lower than last year's. Unless heavy rain returns, planning for water use in the coming months will depend on the existing stock.

The dam-wise storage is as follows: Khadakwasla holds 0.93 TMC, or 46.97 per cent. Panshet has 10.22 TMC (96.03 per cent), Varasgaon 12.56 TMC (97.97 per cent) and Temghar 3.71 TMC (100 per cent).

Meanwhile, rain has been deficient in some talukas of Pune district, and crops have been affected, adding to the severity of the drought conditions. Although the storage in the dams looks satisfactory, how much new water is arriving has become a more important question than how much is stored.

With inflow into all four dams now at zero, the administration will face the challenge of balancing drinking water, agriculture and the city's growing needs in the coming period.

19.05 TMC released so far: Although there is no inflow into the four dams, water is still being released from the Khadakwasla dam. So far, 19.05 TMC has been let out through the dam's spillway.

Water in dams that overflowed during the monsoon has now moved into a phase of controlled use. As storage in the Khadakwasla dam in particular has fallen below half, planning for water use ahead becomes even more important. Overall storage in the dams looks good, but the Khadakwasla dam has less than half its water left and releases from it continue.