Only 2.5 TMC added to reservoirs in July amid scant in catchments
PUNE: The four dams in the Khadakwasla circle added 2.5 TMC water to their reserves in the last 10 days as against 5.1 TMC during the same period last year. Officials attributed the slow rise in storage to scant rainfall in July so far.
According to data with the state irrigation department, the four dams now hold 7.7 TMC of water, marginally less than 7.8 TMC recorded at the same time last year.
“Though the existing collective dam stock can fulfill the city’s water requirement for the next five month, it is still on the lower side (far below 50%). The inflow of rainwater in the dams might go down further if scanty rain continued in the catchment areas, an irrigation department official said.
The official said, “The dam catchments had received heavy rainfall from the first week of July last year, which had continued for the next three weeks, pushing up water levels beyond the halfway-mark. This year, however, the dams received good spells in the last week of June. The rainfall has been poor for the last 10 days. We are keeping a watch on the dam water levels and rainfall in the catchments.
Another official said the rainfall has reduced drastically in the dam catchments.”Khadakwasla did not record any rainfall on Monday, while Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar received less than 5mm each. Rainfall activity has dropped in the catchments of all major dams in the Bhima basin. Sporadic rain spells will increase the water levels, but not significantly,” the official said.
Civic officials said they would hold a meeting next week to review the dam water stock and status of water supply.
