Pune: The water level in the Ujani Dam has fallen to 50 per cent capacity after the release of water to meet the drinking water needs of Solapur and nearby areas. This has led to concerns regarding water management over the next four months before the arrival of monsoon.
Currently, the Ujani Dam holds approximately 90 TMC of water, out of which 64 TMC is categorized as dead storage, and only 26 TMC is usable water. On February 17, the dam had 64% water storage (around 98 TMC), but due to the release of 6,000 cusecs of water, the level has dropped significantly. This water was released to supply drinking water to Solapur, Mangalwedha, Sangola, Pandharpur, and villages located along the river.
Apart from this, 450 cusecs of water is being continuously released for Dahigaon and Sina-Madha projects. Over the past fourteen days, water has been steadily released into the river, with discharge rates reduced gradually from 6,000 cusecs to 1,600 cusecs. Additionally, 1,600 cusecs of water was directed for power generation, leading to an 8 TMC reduction in the dam’s water storage during this period.
Despite the dam being 110% full at its peak this year, it has already been reduced to 50% capacity before summer. This raises serious concerns about how the remaining water will be managed in the next four months, especially with increasing evaporation rates and ongoing releases for drinking water needs.
Raosaheb More, Executive Engineer of the Ujani Irrigation Department, defended the water release, explaining that the decline in water levels was also due to evaporation, non-irrigation schemes, and lift irrigation projects in the catchment area.
He further mentioned that Solapur Municipal Corporation has conducted a hydraulic test for its closed water pipeline project, and once implemented, it is expected to reduce water wastage and improve conservation efforts.
