Khadakwasla dam to stop water release into canal by weekend, 4 TMC to be reserved for drinking purpuses

Pune: The state irrigation department is likely to stop the ongoing water release from the Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha canal by this weekend as Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) gears up to impose water cuts across the city from next week due to concerns over El Nino’s potential impact on monsoon rainfall and declining water reserves.Irrigation department officials said plans were afoot to conserve nearly 4.25 TMC of water in the four dams of the Khadakwasla circle, ensuring sufficient supply for drinking purposes for Pune city, its suburbs and nearby rural areas. “State govt has directed the department to maintain enough storage to meet drinking water needs till Aug-end. Water levels in the dams are being closely monitored. At present, most dams in Pune district, including the four that supply water to the city, have less than 25% of their live storage capacity remaining,” the official said.Another official said water releases for irrigation purposes had been gradually curtailed and the ongoing discharge into the Mutha canal was among the final phases of this process. “The canal has been supplying water to rural regions for the past month. While most areas have received it, some tail-end pockets are expected to be covered by the weekend,” the official said.According to the officials, once this cycle is completed, detailed assessment of water availability in rural areas will be conducted before shutting off the canal supply in a phased manner.