The Khadakwasla irrigation rotation for the Rabi season could be curtailed after the Maharashtra government directed a 10% reduction in water use, raising uncertainty over supplies for farms and drinking water in parts of Pune district. The current rotation, which began on September 25, was planned to run for 45 days at a release rate of 1,100 cusecs a day.
The Khadakwasla chain comprises the Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar dams. Together, they held 25.42 TMC of water, or 87.18% of their combined capacity, according to the report by Pudhari citing Water Resources Department officials. On the same day last year, the four reservoirs held 29.04 TMC, or 99.60% capacity. This year’s storage is therefore 3.62 TMC lower than last year’s level.
Water from the project is released through canals to support agriculture and drinking-water needs in Baramati, Indapur, Daund and Haveli talukas. The first Rabi rotation was planned to provide four TMC of water. Of that amount, 1.90 TMC had been distributed for agricultural and drinking-water requirements when the report was published, leaving 2.10 TMC to be released under the original plan.
The government’s water-cut directive could require the department to revise that allocation. The report states that as much as 1 TMC may be reduced from the remaining quantity, although the final decision on the allocation and duration of the rotation has not yet been announced. The central operational question is whether the rotation will continue for the planned 45 days or end earlier.
The uncertainty comes as farmers in the four talukas depend on timely canal releases during the Rabi season. A shorter rotation could affect the availability of water for crops that require irrigation during the season. The same canal network also serves drinking-water needs, making the allocation decision relevant beyond agriculture.
The reservoir system also recorded substantial releases during the monsoon. An additional 19 TMC was discharged into the Mutha river from the project’s catchment area after heavy rainfall. Water was released through the canals during the same period, and 6.38 TMC had been distributed through the canal system before the Rabi rotation began. The report said this water benefited Kharif crops in parts of Baramati, Indapur, Daund and Haveli where rainfall was comparatively low.
The latest figures highlight the administrative challenge of managing a shared reservoir system across agricultural and drinking-water demands. With storage below last year’s level and a 10% reduction directive now in force, the Water Resources Department must determine the revised allocation and whether the ongoing rotation can meet its planned schedule. Farmers are awaiting the department’s next decision on the remaining water and the rotation’s end date.
