City to get water from Mulshi dam

After Panshet, Varasgaon, Khadakwasla and Bhama Askhed, the state will for the first time tap water from Mulshi dam on the Mula river to meet the demand of the fast-growing Pune city, which has been reeling under severe water shortage for the past few years.

Congress MLC Mohan Joshi on Tuesday said the state government has given an assurance in the House to tap Mulshi dam to meet the increased water demand of the city.

In response to the issue raised in the state legislative council, Joshi said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had clarified that there was no scope for building a new dam to meet the requirements of the city.

“The state government would tap water from Mulshi dam, keeping in view the increase in demand in the next 30 years. The agreement with Tata Power Company has not been revised in the last 100 years and it would be done keeping in mind the water demands of the city,” Pawar assured the House.
The Deputy Chief Minister, reiterating that the state government is committed to meeting the water demand of Pune, mentioned that the PMC has the responsibility of recycling sewer water before releasing it into the river so that it can be used for agricultural purposes.

Thus, the PMC should start sewage treatment plants with full capacity and ensure 6.5 TMC of treated water is released into the river as per the agreement with the irrigation department. The irrigation department presently provides 16 TMC to PMC to meet its drinking water demand.
Joshi said he has urged the state government to allow 5 TMC water to be drawn from Mulshi dam to meet the increased demand of the city.

The Congress MLC further said that he raised the issue as the city was growing at a fast pace with an increase in population. The state has already merged 23 villages with PMC and would soon be merging 28 more.

Earlier, water resources minister Krishna Valley Development Corporation, Ramraje Nimbalkar, said the state government has decided to provide 2.67 TMC from Bhama Askhed dam to Pune and it would be increased by one TMC as per need.

The PMC currently draws water from the Panshet, Varasgaon, Khadakwasla and Bhama Askhed dams. The city has been facing water shortage for the last few years and the civic body had to impose water cuts in summer to ensure that supply lasts until monsoon refills the dams.

Source :- http://www.indianexpress.com/news/city-to-get-water-from-mulshi-dam/1087244/0z