Khadakwasla dam
Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale on Thursday said a letter was handed over to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , demanding allotment of 13 TMC of water for the city from Khadakwasla dam till June 2027. Bhimale said the canal committee meeting was held last week in which it was announced that the city would get 13 TMC of water till next monsoon, but the irrigation department has not clarified the exact calculations. Bhimale said the dams collectively hold around 23 TMC of water, of which 13 TMC of water should be kept aside for the city. Bhimale said with the inclusion of new villages, the city’s geographical area has expanded, and its population has crossed 70 lakh. To cater to this population, approximately 170 MLD of water is required. In the current scenario where water stock in dams is down by 4 TMC from last year, the civic administration should curtail water usage, the irrigation department has said.
Last week, Bhimale had announced that BJP leaders from the city would meet Fadnavis over the water quota issue.
“We urged the chief minister to provide adequate water to the city till next monsoon,” Bhimale said. The PMC’s equitable water supply scheme, aimed at preventing water leakage, is in its final stages. The irrigation department has been claiming that the PMC is utilising more water than the stipulated quota.