This is an archive article published on August 26, 2024
Premium
Maharashtra go-ahead for 34-km tunnel to avoid water loss from Khadakwasla dam
Pune draws its water from the Khadakwasla dam, which also caters to the district's rural areas, for which water is released through a canal going through the city.
Leakages, evaporation and the theft of water being supplied through the canal have been a cause for concern in summer. (Express photo by Pavan Khegre)
The Maharashtra Government on Monday approved a Rs 2,190-crore project to construct a 34-km tunnel from the Khadakwasla dam to Phursungi to save water lost owing to leakage and evaporation along a canal supplying water from the dam to Pune’s rural areas.
Pune city draws its water from the Khadakwasla dam, which also caters to the rural areas, for which water is released through a canal going through the city. Leakages, evaporation and the theft of water being supplied through the canal have been a cause for concern in summer. The pollution of the canal water has also increased in the past few years.
Advertisement
The idea of a tunnel to supply water to Pune’s rural area thus arose.
“The increasing urbanisation and land encroachment alongside the canal have reduced the canal’s water carrying capacity. The project would save 2.18 TMC water in a year, equal to one and a half month’s requirement of the city, and help to bring in 3,472-hectare land under irrigation,” said an officer of the water resources department.
The canal goes through urban areas and is above the ground in most areas, except for the underground stretch from Swargate to Race Course of about 2 km. The canal goes through 14 villages—Khadakwasla, Nanded, Kirkatwadi, Dhayri, Vadgaon Budruk, Hingne Khurd, Parvati, Wanowrie, Ghorpadi, Hadapsar, Sadesatranali, Manjari, Shewalwadi and Phursungi.
Advertisement
Open channels are susceptible to pollutants, rain-dissolved chemicals, animal and unauthorised human waste discharges, evaporation, flash flood-led accidents in slum areas, and water pollution due to the discharge of waste from factories, homes, car washing and idol immersion, the officer added.
Once the tunnel is constructed, the canal can be closed and 350 hectares of land will be available for other public purposes.
Leakages, evaporation and the theft of water being supplied through the canal have been a cause for concern in summer. (Express photo by Pavan Khegre) 
Share
