Panshet dam; on Monday, live water storage in four dams of Khadakwasla circle that supply water to the city and rural areas was at 25.18 TMC, almost 3.8 TMC less than last year’s stock
Sources said that the entire timetable of water discharge for crops for the next nine months is undergoing major changes this year owing to scanty rain and a relatively lower stock of water in dams. The advancement of water release will have a cascading effect on forthcoming release rotations, sources said. Irrigation department officials have already said they want Pune (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC) municipal corporations to use water judiciously and introduce more stringent cuts. PMC sources said that though water cuts are already in force, the civic body will put forth its demands at the canal committee meeting.
The water release for winter crops generally begins in Oct after withdrawal of the monsoon, but it was started in Sept. The Khadakwasla canal committee meeting to be chaired by district guardian minister Sunetra Pawar holds the key to deciding water release plans for the city and rural parts. The meeting is expected in the next two weeks after the withdrawal of the code of conduct, effective at present in districts for the polls for teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies. All stakeholders, including PMC, PCMC and the irrigation department, are expecting a detailed discussion on water cuts at the meeting.