Pimpri : 15,000 Cubic Meters of Silt Removal Boosts Pavana Dam’s Water Storage

Pimpri, June 19 – Shrirang Barne, the Shiv Sena MP from Maval constituency, has sparked a large-scale effort to remove silt from Pavana Dam, aimed at enhancing its water storage capacity. 

This annual silt removal project has been ongoing for the past seven years, resulting in the extraction of approximately 15,000 cubic meters of silt this year alone. As a result, the water storage capacity of Pavana Dam is expected to experience a substantial boost. 

MP Barne expressed confidence that this measure would alleviate the water scarcity issue faced by the residents of Maval and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The silt extracted from the dam is being repurposed by farmers for field application, thus providing additional benefits to the agricultural community.

On Monday (19), MP Srirang Barne personally inspected the silt removal operations at Pavana Dam. The event witnessed the presence of a significant number of villagers, including Rajesh Khandbhor, the Shiv Sena Maval taluka chief, former president Sharad Hulawle, Yuva Sena president Vishal Hulawle, Yuva Sena vice president Nitin Deshmukh, Amit Kumbhar, and Dinesh Thakar.

Pavana Dam plays a crucial role in supplying water to the villages of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maval, and supporting agricultural activities. The construction of Pavana Dam was completed in 1972, but no attempts had been made to enhance its storage capacity until the initiative taken by Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne. Over the past seven years, silt removal has been carried out to increase the dam’s water retention capacity. So far, a total of 76,000 cubic meters of silt has been successfully extracted, leading to a significant expansion of the dam’s storage capacity. 

The removal of silt has proven instrumental in mitigating water scarcity issues for the residents of Maval and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The extracted silt is utilized by farmers, particularly in the flourishing nursery and orchard businesses in the Pavana Dam area, thereby further benefiting the agricultural community. MP Barne advised the individuals involved in transporting the silt to ensure that they adhere to the dumper’s capacity limits and avoid inconveniencing the local villagers.

MP Srirang Barne stated, “For the past seven years, we have been engaged in the task of silt removal at Pavana Dam. This dam supplies water to Pimpri-Chinchwad city, Talegaon Dabhade, and the MIDC area. During the monsoon season, a substantial amount of silt accumulates from the surrounding mountains, hindering water storage. To address this issue, we have undertaken the silt removal project for the past seven years. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, silt removal was halted for two years. With the necessary permissions, we have resumed the silt removal operations this year. Local social organizations, farmers, and villagers have united to remove the silt and boost the dam’s water storage capacity without relying on government assistance. Over the past seven years, we have successfully removed 76,000 cubic meters of silt from the dam.”

Cleaning the Pavana River : 

Efforts are underway to combat the pollution in Pavana River by installing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to prevent untreated drainage from entering Pimpri-Chinchwad city and contaminating the river directly. MP Srirang Barane has been consistently following up with concerned companies and the administration to ensure the proper treatment of this water before releasing it into the river. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde acknowledged MP Shrirang Barane’s commendable work in the Pavana river cleaning project during the Government At Your Doorstep program held in Thergaon.