Pune: The Ujani Dam, a crucial source of water for Pune, Nagar, and Solapur districts, has reached 105% of its storage capacity, holding 120 TMC of water.

The dam, which receives its inflow from Pune’s Khadakwasla cluster of dams, is still taking in over 21,700 cusecs of water, with an outflow of over 31,000 cusecs being released into the Bhima River to manage the surplus.

In the past month, around 90 TMC of water has been discharged from Ujani into the river to regulate the water levels. Despite low rainfall in the dam’s immediate catchment area, the heavy monsoon in the Pune region has bolstered the dam's storage, making it a lifeline for the region’s water supply needs.

Last year, in September 2022, Ujani was only 24% full, holding just 76.41 TMC of water, most of which was dead storage. The usable water was only 13 TMC, and the emergency committee had to release 5 TMC for Solapur’s drinking needs. In contrast, this year’s inflow has been so significant that Ujani’s water storage is well above 100%.

The dam's water is crucial for irrigation projects, drinking water schemes, and industrial use in Pune, Nagar, and Solapur. Water is being released to the Sina Madha Project (210 cusecs), Dahigaon Project (80 cusecs), and for electricity generation (1,600 cusecs). Additionally, 30,000 cusecs are being released directly into the Bhima River.

The Ujani Dam's total capacity is 123 TMC, and the current storage is just short of that, making this a highly beneficial year for water resource management in these districts.

In September and October, assuming further rainfall, 31,600 cusecs of water is being released through 16 gates into the river.

• Current water storage: 105.59 TMC (as of 12 PM on Sunday).

• Inflow into the dam: 21,717 cusecs

• Water released from the dam:

  • Sina Madha Project: 210 cusecs

  • Dahigaon Project: 80 cusecs

  • Tunnel: 200 cusecs

  • Main canal: 1,600 cusecs

  • Power generation: 1,600 cusecs

  • Direct to river: 30,000 cusecs