While Mumbai and parts of Konkan received rain on Friday, Pune is yet to witness its first proper bout of monsoon showers.
However, despite the delay, State Irrigation Department officials said the four dams — Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar — which supply water to Pune city, have adequate stock to last till the end of July. The collective water stock in the four dams is around 5.3 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) — about 20% of the total cumulative capacity of the dams, which is 29.15 TMC.
Officials said the present collective stock is nearly 50% more than the last year’s collective stock (of 2.5 TMC) for the same period, and that there are adequate reserves to cater to the city’s potable water needs till the month-end.
Khadakwasla dam, which is considered the city’s potable water ‘lifeline’, presently is filled to 56% of the total capacity of 55,910 million litres, as compared to 31% at the same time last year.
The Pune Municipal Corporation draws around 1,350 million litres from the reservoir each day and supplies it to the city.
The catchment areas under Temghar dam have received 500 mm rainfall, while Varasgaon and Panshet have received 350 mm rainfall during the whole of June. In contrast, Khadakwasla has received only 204 mm. Yet, authorities do not see any cause for alarm.
Panshet presently is filled to 21% of its capacity (as compared to 13% at the same time last year), while Varasgaon has a water stock of 13.84% of its total capacity, as compared to the 9% in the same period last year, officials said.
They further said the dams had added more than 1 TMC, thanks to the heavy showers received across the district in the wake of Cyclone Nisarga in June.
The excess rainfall received during the last monsoon season, too, had ensured that the cumulative capacity of the four dams was maintained at the level of 5 TMC.