Pune: Dam discharges were reduced on Tuesday with rainfall easing across the catchment areas. Officials, however, remained on high alert, saying flood warnings for low-lying areas along the Mutha, Mula and Pavana rivers would stay in effect for the next few days.The release from the Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha river was stopped completely in the afternoon and resumed late in the evening at 1,700 cusec. The release from the Pavana dam was halted, while discharge from Mulshi dam was brought down to 7,000 cusec by the evening. “The release from the Khadakwasla dam into the Mutha Right Bank Canal continues and is likely to remain operational for the next few days,” an irrigation official said. Water from the canal is supplied to rural areas downstream.Officials said inflows into reservoirs had declined due to reduced rainfall, but runoff from upstream areas continued. Dam operators are regulating releases based on incoming water levels. They cautioned that discharges could rise again if heavy rainfall returns, as most reservoirs in the region have already crossed 90% of their storage capacities.“All five dams supplying water to Pune received less than 40mm rainfall each during the 24-hour period ending Tuesday morning. Rainfall between Tuesday morning and evening ranged between 10mm and 13mm across the reservoirs. Collective water storage in Pune’s dam system has reached 26.8 TMC (92% of total capacity),” another official said.Sources in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) said authorities should closely monitor releases through the canal and ensure that excess water was not discharged into the rural stretches. The canal was releasing water at 1,054 cusec on Tuesday.Ujani discharge raised to 60,000 cusecThe irrigation department increased water release from the Ujani dam to 60,000 cusec on Tuesday as the reservoir continued to receive substantial inflows from upstream dams. Water storage at Ujani stayed at 97% of capacity.Rs 3.6 crore sanctioned for Sansar canal repairsThe irrigation department has sanctioned Rs 3.6 crore for strengthening and permanent repairs of the canal in the Sansar area. The canal suffered a major breach in May 2025 during the early phase of the monsoon, following which temporary restoration work was undertaken to prevent disruption of water supply. Officials said the newly approved funds would facilitate long-term structural repairs and strengthening work to prevent similar incidents in future.
