Pune, 27th July 2026: Only a few days ago, Pune was facing uncertainty over its water supply as concerns over the impact of El Niño raised the possibility of alternate-day water distribution in the city.
However, continuous rainfall in the catchment areas of the Khadakwasla dam chain has significantly improved reservoir levels, bringing much-needed relief and strengthening the city's water security.
According to the Pune Irrigation Department, the Khadakwasla dam chain held 25.54 TMC (87.77%) of water as of 5 pm on Sunday, compared to 24.84 TMC (85.20%) on the same day last year.
Pune requires around 1.5 TMC of water every month for drinking water supply. The present storage is therefore considered comfortable and sufficient for the city's needs if the monsoon continues normally.
Khadakwasla Dam has reached 100% capacity and excess water is being released in a regulated manner to ensure safe operations. So far, 2.71 TMC of water has been discharged through the spillway.
The remaining reservoirs in the dam chain have also recorded healthy storage:
Panshet: 9.85 TMC (92.49%)
Varasgaon: 11.04 TMC (86.08%)
Temghar: 2.68 TMC (72.40%)
Together, the four dams received 650 MCFT of inflow on Sunday, reflecting steady rainfall across the catchment region.
Among the catchment areas, Temghar recorded the highest rainfall at 36 mm, followed by Panshet (9 mm) and Khadakwasla and Varasgaon (5 mm each).
This monsoon, cumulative rainfall has reached 2,121 mm in Temghar, 1,552 mm in Panshet, 1,484 mm in Varasgaon, and 553 mm in Khadakwasla, resulting in consistent inflows into the reservoirs.
"The Khadakwasla dam chain has reached a satisfactory level of water storage due to continuous rainfall in the catchment areas. If rainfall intensifies further, controlled releases from the reservoirs may have to be increased to ensure safe dam operations. People living along the riverbanks should remain alert and follow all instructions issued by the administration," said Pravin Kolhe, Superintending Engineer, Pune Irrigation Circle.
