Pune, 9th October 2026: The water storage in the Khadakwasla dam system, which supplies water to Pune throughout the year, has dropped to 26.80 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), or 91.94% of its total capacity. This is 2.35 TMC lower than the 29.15 TMC recorded during the same period last year, when all four dams were full.
With the state government announcing a 10% water cut, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) may have to revise its water distribution plan.
The Khadakwasla dam system comprises Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar dams. All four reservoirs reached full capacity following heavy rainfall in July, after much of June remained largely dry. However, rainfall decreased from August onwards, leading to a gradual decline in water storage.
Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar currently have more than 90% of their storage capacity filled, while the level in Khadakwasla has been brought down to 43.89%. Overall, the four-dam system has around 8% less water than it had at the same time last year.
Pune requires approximately 21 TMC of water every year. The current usable storage of 26.80 TMC is around 5.80 TMC more than the city’s estimated annual requirement. However, the decline in storage and the proposed water cut have made careful planning necessary.
Around 19.05 TMC of water has been released through the Khadakwasla dam’s spillway during the current monsoon season. As of Wednesday at 6 am, there was no fresh inflow into any of the four reservoirs.
The Water Resources Department is expected to issue letters to the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, MIDC and other agencies within the next two days to implement the government’s decision to reduce water allocation by 10%. The department will then prepare a revised plan based on the available storage.
“The government has announced a 10% water cut. The Water Resources Department will issue letters to the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, MIDC and other agencies within the next two days. After this, the available water stock will be reassessed and a revised allocation plan will be prepared,” said Kiran Deshmukh, Executive Engineer with the Water Resources Department.
At present, Pune receives 628 cusecs of water from Khadakwasla and 600 cusecs each from Panshet and Varasgaon through their powerhouses. No water is currently being released from Khadakwasla or Temghar through their respective outlets, according to the department.
