District Guardian Minister and senior BJP leader Girish Bapat has ruled out the need for water cuts till monsoon as thundershowers in the last 48 hours have brought down the temperatures in the city.
The three dams, Khadakwasla, Panshet and Varasgaon, have enough stocks to meet the requirements till July 15, Mr. Bapat said, adding that the decision was taken in concert with the Pune Municipal Corporation and the irrigation department. The fourth dam, Temghar, which is undergoing repair work owing to massive leakage, has been emptied. The cumulative storage capacity of the four water bodies is 29 tmcft.
“After reviewing the situation, we concluded that there is no need for water cuts as of now. Supply will continue as per normal schedule till July 15,” he said.
The news comes as a relief to the residents who were facing alternate-day water supply in 2015 and 2016. The rationing began in mid-September 2015 and dragged on till July last year as reserve stocks in the four dams plummeted to a historic low of 2.84 tmcft, forcing officials to prioritise between releasing water to the adjoining rural areas of Daund and Indapur and catering to the city’s needs.
