Indian Express 7.12.2009
Civic body awaits irrigation dept nod
Wall around Khadakwasla dam
Soon, the sight of revellers enjoying a dip in the Khadakwasla dam, the main source of potable water to Pune city, could become a thing of past if the Irrigation Department approves the plan put forth by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). According to the plan, a wall around the dam would restrict people from entering the dam water. But like the Mumbai chowpatty, people would be able to sit on the wall and enjoy the water.
The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 1.5 crore, an amount that the civic body has allotted in its annual budget, even though Khadakwasla does not fall in its limits. The PMC has also floated a tender for the construction of the wall.
PMC garden superintendent Bhanudas Mane said, “In order to keep people away from entering the dam water and to keep the quality of the water, we have planned to construct a wall along the dam.”
A proposal to this effect had come up during the tenure of the former commissioner Praveensinh Pardeshi and the civic body had also decided to allocate some amount in its annual budget. It has been following up the matter over the last one year.
Mane said, “The wall would be constructed after taking into consideration the full storage capacity of the dam. Between the wall and the road there would be an empty space where we would plant trees.” The wall would measure 500 metres in length and about 20 metres wide.
Every year, on the day of Dhulivandan and Rangpanchami, members of the Hindu Janjagriti Samiti set out on a mission to prevent people from spoiling the dam water
