A night of relentless rainfall over the Sahyadri catchment has pushed Pune’s Khadakwasla dam chain to 100% capacity. In response, irrigation authorities triggered a citywide emergency before dawn on Wednesday, unleashing a massive 27,203 cusecs of water into the Mutha River.
The reservoir recorded 101 mm of rainfall within 24 hours, and engineers warn that discharge levels may be increased further depending on weather patterns through the day.
The Overnight Surge: How It Escalated
Water release was escalated in calibrated stages through the early hours of Wednesday morning to manage the sudden inflow:
- 12:00 AM – 1:00 AM: 842 cusecs
- 1:00 AM – 1:30 AM: 1,684 cusecs
- 1:30 AM – 2:30 AM: 3,424 cusecs
- 2:30 AM – 3:15 AM: 6,634 cusecs
- 3:15 AM – 3:45 AM: 14,393 cusecs
- 3:45 AM – 5:30 AM: 22,880 cusecs
- From 5:30 AM onwards: 27,203 cusecs
Ektanagar on High Alert
Memories of the devastating 2023 floods—where homes were swamped without warning—have put local authorities on high alert. Acting preemptively, a multi-agency force has been deployed:
- Preemptive Deployment: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) staff, the Disaster Management Department, the Fire Brigade, and local police have been stationed in low-lying areas since 3:00 AM.
- Ground Inspection: Mayor Manjusha Nagpure personally visited vulnerable pockets to review flood preparedness.
Urgent Advisory for Residents: The irrigation department has issued a direct appeal to the public. Stay completely off the riverbed. Move all livestock, vehicles, and machinery out of low-lying areas immediately. Riversides are being actively cleared.
The Bigger Picture: Catchment Storage Status
Khadakwasla is facing massive inflows alongside three other interconnected reservoirs, which experienced heavy downpours:
- Temghar: 245 mm of rain
- Varasgaon: 189 mm of rain
- Panshet: 171 mm of rain
Together, the four dams received an overnight inflow of 3,637 mcft, bringing their combined storage to 13.97 TMC (nearly 48% of capacity). This marks a sharper, more intense burst of monsoon activity compared to the same period last year, when storage stood at a steadier 67% (19.55 TMC).
What Lies Ahead
With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) maintaining a heavy rain alert for the ghat regions of Pune district, the water inflow is expected to continue. Discharge levels will be reviewed hour by hour. Residents downstream are strictly advised to remain vigilant and comply with all instructions from local emergency teams.
-
-
-
-
