PUNE: The irrigation department on Thursday started releasing water from Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha right bank canal which supplies water to Pune city.

The Khadakwasla dam is almost filled to capacity as the storage reached 94.08% on Thursday afternoon. The water is being released at the rate of 1300 cusecs (1 cusec= 28.317 liters per second) and it will continue for the next seven days.

Meanwhile, collective storage in four dams that supply water to Pune city increased to 13.08 TMC (44.86% of total storage capacity) on Thursday evening.

"Storage in Khadakwasla is more than 90% of its capacity. So we decided to discharge water into the canal which will enable the Pune Municipal Corporation to lift additional water for the city. Besides, it will also benefit smaller cities like Daund and Indapur," said S N Bolbhat, executive engineer of Khadakwasla irrigation division.

Bolbhat said the discharge will continue at the same rate for the next seven days. A decision on further release will depend on the amount of rainfall in catchment areas in the coming week, he said.

The collective water storage in four dams reached the city's annual drinking water quota of 11.50 TMC on Wednesday. The storage increased further by 1.53 TMC in the last 24 hours as rains continued in catchment areas. By Thursday evening, Panshet dam had 45.94% water; Varasgaon 40.89% and Temghar 29.64%.

Bolbhat said that catchment areas of dams registered heavy rainfall in the last four days which resulted in significant increase in water storage. Among the four dams, Varasgaon received the highest rainfall (26 mm) on Thursday. Panshet and Temghar received 25 mm each, Khadakwasla recorded 12 mm.

Officials, however, pointed out that the intensity of rain in catchment areas was reduced on Thursday as compared to last two days. Temghar, Panshet and Varasgaon have recorded more than 1,200 mm rainfall since June.

WATER STORAGE IN FOUR DAMS

Dam Water storage Thursday's rainfall (6am to 6pm) Rainfall since June

Temghar 1.10 TMC (29.64%) 26 mm 1,355 mm

Varasgaon5.23 TMC (40.89%)25 mm 1,316 mm

Panshet4.89 TMC (45.94%)25 mm 1,207 mm

Khadakwasla1.86 TMC (94.08%)12 mm 267 mm

Total 13.08 TMC (44.86% of total collective capacity