But the continuous showers during the week have improved the situation slightly .
“Good rainfall has taken place in the dam catchment areas. The four dams have been receiving heavy showers for around a week. This has helped take the water levels up,“ an official from irrigation department said.
According to the department, the collective water availability had reached up to 8.19 TMC on Sunday , as against the 7.23 TMC figure on July 10, 2015. This time last year, the total stock available in the dams was 24.82%, as compared to 30.71% this year. The rainfall during the weekend has especially given a boost to the water stock, the official added. The water availability on Saturday was 7.17 TMC, marginally less than last year’s figure for July 9 (7.27 TMC).
The increase in water stock will reduce the worries of citizens, who feared that water supply may be curtailed further. The city is already facing water cuts since September 2015, following the poor monsoon last year.
The delay in the arrival of the monsoon and inadequate pre-season showers had made water shortage more acute, with dams filled only 7.5% of their capacity in mid-June.Storage in Temghar reservoir was at 0%, while the stock in Panshet, Varasgaon and Khadakwasla dams had dropped below 1 TMC.
Meanwhile, heavy showers on Sunday caused panic in Junnar, Taluka and Autur as water gushed into the farms and houses of residents near Mandavi river. According to locals, the gates of the Kolhapur-type weir were not open on time. This raised the water levels drastically , which resulted in surrounding areas being flooded. The highway safety patrol said the water had come on to the Kalyan-Ahmednagar highway , which was closed to traffic for around 45 minutes.
Source : TOI
