Pune: Water Crisis Looms in Western Bhama Askhed Dam Region as Farmers Fear Severe Shortage

Askhed (Pune): In the last 25 days,1,000 cusecs of water per day has been released from the Bhama Askhed dam, which has brought down the water level in the dam and farmers and residents of the dam area are afraid of facing severe shortage in the summer. The western belt of the dam is facing a drought-like situation today as the water level has dropped drastically.

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On an average, the residents of the dam area estimate that there is an average water stock left in the dam in the month of April every year. But this year, the crops have started drying up as residents of villages in the western belt of the dam have missed their forecasts. This has put the farming business at risk. Last year, about 50 per cent of the water stock was in the Bhama Askhed dam during this period, so about 25 to 30 kilometres of the area was flooded from villages along the riverbed in the western belt of the dam. But this year, the water level dropped due to continuous discharge of water. It is the affected farmers who are in trouble, while some dam-affected villagers have started walking for drinking water.

Bhama Askhed in Khed taluka is an 8.14 TMC earthen dam. But it benefits Shirur and Daund talukas more than Khed. The affected farmers said that despite being given land and homeless, they have always been deprived of water facilities and the grievances of 'those' farmers are still pending in the government court and these problems should be resolved soon.

Bhama Askhed Dam is important for Chakan Industrial Estate, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Alandi. But will Chakan town and industrial estate in Khed taluka get enough water by the end of May? There is such a sense of anxiety among the citizens. At present, the dam has only 29 per cent water storage. Bhama Askhed Dam currently has a total storage of 76.860 dalghams (2.70 TMC) and a live storage of 63.34 dalghams (2.23 TMC). But the Since March 21 till date (about 25 days), 1,000 cusecs of water has been released into the riverbed. As of now, the reservoir has only 29.17 per cent water storage.

Wells in the area have also reached the bottom as the water level has dropped. As a result, residents of the western belt of the dam will face severe water shortages in mid-May. Due to the discharge of water from the dam, the river bed has dried up in Koliye, Gadad, Gabarwadi, Ambhu, Bandra, Velhavale and other villages in the region. Also, in some villages, there is little water for drinking and there is no water left for use, which is causing suffering to the animals.