Dams’ stock down to half, irrigation dept & PMC explore options to save water for summer

Pune: The state irrigation department and PMC are exploring various options to save water in dams around the city for the summer as their collective stock has dropped to 50% because of faster evaporation amid high temperatures.
The collective storage in four dams in the Khadakwasla circle was 14.9 TMC (51%) on Monday. It is about 0.8 TMC more than that in the same time last year.
Officials from the irrigation department said they were continuously monitoring the water levels against the backdrop of increased heat and water usage in rural and urban areas. They are considering evaporation losses also while preparing the plan for the provision of water for the city and rural areas.
The irrigation department has taken a stricter stand against water wastage and theft during the ongoing water release through the canal for crops. It has also asked PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) to take necessary steps to reduce water wastage to avoid a crisis situation in the coming months.
The canal carries water from Khadakwasla to Indapur, covering a distance of around 200km. The irrigation department has deployed teams at various locations along the canal to keep a tab on water theft and instances of illegal breaches at the canal. The locations of water seepages have been repaired to reduce water loss.
An official from PMC's water supply department said, "The administration replaced the supply pipes at many locations to reduce the water loss. Strict monitoring will start soon against the use of drinking water for washing vehicles and construction works."
An official of the irrigation department said, "We are checking if ongoing water release for rural areas can be curtailed so that more water can be stored in dams. If we reduce the number of days of water release, we can save some water. Our teams are checking how we can finish the water release in fewer days."
The issue of water supply for the city and rural areas was discussed during the canal committee meeting held on March 1. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar told the irrigation department and PMC to ensure that the city received adequate water till July 15.
Many areas in the city's central parts, pockets in Kothrud and eastern parts of the city have been allegedly getting inadequate water supply despite PMC not announcing any water cuts. Delegations from different parts of the city approached PMC in the last few days demanding improvement in the water supply.
An official of PMC said, "We have not curtailed the supply, and there is no plan to impose water cuts in the near future."
Former corporators and politicians said uneven supply of water was leading to water shortage and residents' hardships. BJP's Sandeep Khardekar said inadequate or uneven supply of water was nothing but "unannounced" water cuts. He said the administration should take serious note of the situation.
PMC lifts over 1.5 TMC of water from Khadakwasla on a monthly basis. For the next four months, it will require more than 6 TMC of water from Khadakwasla.
The ongoing release of water for the crops is expected to be stopped next month. The irrigation department is likely to take a call around May if it will release water once more for crops.
"The decision will be taken based on the water availability in dams, monsoon forecast, especially the probable date of arrival of rains, and water demand from city areas," a source from the irrigation department said.