Villages in and around Bavda, Pimpri Budruk and Bhandgaon in Pune district’s Indapur taluka are facing a serious drinking-water shortage, with some residents reportedly going without water for up to eight days as the Bhima riverbed runs dry. Local representatives have sought an urgent release from Ujani dam into the river and asked the administration to decide within 24 to 48 hours.
The demand was raised by Abhijit Satish Ghogre, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha’s Indapur assembly unit. Ghogre submitted a representation to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Rural Development and district guardian minister Jaykumar Gore, and the Solapur district collector, according to the report.
The representation states that the drying riverbed has affected several village drinking-water supply schemes in the Bhima river basin. Residents are facing difficulty arranging water for household use, while the availability of drinking water for livestock has also become a concern. The affected settlements have asked that water be released into the Bhima river and that the check dams along the river be filled to capacity.
Bavda gram panchayat has separately submitted a representation to the chief minister. The gram panchayats of Pimpri Budruk and Bhandgaon have approached the deputy engineer of the Shripur branch of the Bhima Irrigation Division. Their submissions have added to the demand for immediate intervention by the Water Resources Department and district administration.
The shortage is also affecting agriculture and fodder availability. The representation says that standing crops could face damage if water is not made available, while arranging fodder for livestock has become increasingly difficult. It has also stated that the check dams should be filled to full capacity after October 15 and warned that any delay in releasing water could further affect drinking-water schemes in the area.
Ghogre has referred to provisions in a government decision dated October 5, 2026, while asking the Water Resources Department and district administration to begin the release from Ujani dam within the requested 24-to-48-hour period. The demand includes carrying the water through the Bhima river system to the far end of the command area.
The report does not state that the administration has approved the release or that water has already entered the Bhima river. The next step rests with the concerned water-resources authorities and district administration, whose decision is being awaited by residents of Bavda, Pimpri Budruk, Bhandgaon and other villages dependent on the affected supply schemes.
