Water Cut Threat Looms Over Pune & Pimpri-Chinchwad; 15% Reduction Ordered

Pune | Correspondent: A looming water crisis may soon impact residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad as the state Water Resources Department has directed municipal corporations to implement a 15% water supply cut. The move comes after warnings from the India Meteorological Department about below-normal rainfall this year.

According to officials, the available water stock in the Khadakwasla Dam reservoir system must be carefully managed to ensure adequate drinking water supply until July 31. Authorities have warned that failure to implement water cuts now could lead to severe shortages in the coming months.

The directive applies to the Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

Monsoon Concerns: El Niño & IOD Impact

The IMD has attributed the expected deficit rainfall to climatic factors like El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which are likely to weaken the monsoon. During the recent budget session, Devendra Fadnavis instructed authorities to ensure strict water planning. Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil emphasized the need for judicious water usage across river basins like Krishna and Godavari.

Water Supply & Storage Details

Currently, Pune draws around 1,750 million liters of water daily, translating to approximately 1.83 TMC per month. With the new directive, the civic body will need to cut around 0.275 TMC from its monthly usage.

As of April 8, the combined storage across the four dams in the Khadakwasla system stands at 45.29% (13.20 TMC). Although this is slightly higher than last year’s levels, authorities remain cautious due to the uncertain monsoon outlook.

Urgent Need for Water Management

Officials stress that early water rationing and efficient planning are crucial to avoid a full-blown water shortage crisis in Pune and surrounding areas. The response of civic bodies in the coming days will be critical in determining how the situation unfolds.

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