About 17.46 lakh rural population of Pune division is facing severe water scarcity. The residents of villages near Panshet and Varasgaon dams have to walk for several kms to fetch water. Pune Zilla Parishad has not started any water supply schemes there as the population is too low.
These villagers have given lands for the two dams, which are feeders of Khadakwasla dam that provides water to Pune city, downstream Indapur and Baramati talukas and Solapur district.
The power generated at the Panshet project goes to the state grid while 25 hamlets in the backwaters do not get any power supply. They also demanded a government-run hospital in the area as the nearest hospital is at Khadakwasla, some 20 km from their place.
The plight of over 2,600 people living in these villages and hamlets are pathetic. These are the people whose land has been acquired for the dams. They have to walk a distance of at least two to four km to fetch water from the dams while citizens living in Pune are getting ample water from the dams built on their land.