Pune Collector Directs Strict Management Of Available Water Stock To Prevent Drinking Water Shortage
Pune Collector Directs Strict Management Of Available Water Stock To Prevent Drinking Water Shortage
Pune, June 19, 2026: District Collector Jitendra Dudi has directed all concerned departments to ensure strict management of the available water stock in the Khadakwasla dam system and Pavana Dam, emphasizing that every possible measure must be taken to prevent any drinking water shortage in Pune district.
The directives were issued during a review meeting held at the Collector’s office to assess rainfall trends, reservoir levels, and water consumption patterns. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Irrigation Department, Revenue Department, Disaster Management Authority, and other concerned agencies.
According to the Collector, the Khadakwasla dam group—which includes Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon, and Temghar reservoirs—currently holds 4.13 TMC of water against its live storage capacity of 29.15 TMC. Pavana Dam has an available storage of 1.65 TMC.
Dudi instructed officials to carefully plan water usage based on the estimated drinking water requirements of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal areas until August 31, 2026. The projected demand is approximately 4 TMC for Pune and 1.5 TMC for Pimpri-Chinchwad.
He directed Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations, municipal councils, gram panchayats, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, MIDC, and other water-consuming agencies to reassess and rationalise water usage in line with available reserves and future requirements.
To curb unauthorized water extraction, the Collector ordered special inspection drives by joint teams comprising officials from the Revenue, Police, and Water Resources departments. He also instructed all departments to submit weekly reports on reservoir levels, rainfall, water inflows, and consumption patterns to the district administration.
Highlighting the seriousness of the situation, Dudi asked the Water Resources Department to adopt a reservoir conservation-based operational strategy and implement preventive measures wherever necessary. He further directed officials to keep the district administration informed before releasing water from dams following significant rainfall inflows.
The meeting reviewed compliance with government directives aimed at ensuring adequate drinking water availability until August 31, preserving reserved water stock, preventing illegal water lifting, and prioritising drinking water needs over other uses.
Revenue authorities were also instructed to take strict action under provisions of the Disaster Management Act against unauthorised pumps, pipelines, motors, and other equipment used for illegal water extraction.
During the meeting, Superintending Engineer Pravin Kolhe informed officials that the Pune division currently has a usable water stock of 77 TMC, representing 14.30 percent of total capacity. This is significantly lower than the 169.9 TMC (31.16 percent) recorded during the same period last year, indicating a deficit of nearly 90.9 TMC.
Kolhe also presented a detailed overview of the current water situation in the Pune division, including rainfall analysis, reservoir status, the potential impact of El Niño conditions highlighted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), possible risks, and recommended mitigation measures.
