Pune: The Ujani Dam, a crucial water source for Pune, Solapur, and Ahmednagar districts, has reached 100% capacity due to the heavy rainfall in the Western Ghats and the Bhima basin.
On Monday (August 5) morning, the water inflow from Daund into the Ujani Dam surged to 180,000 cusecs, necessitating the release of 100,000 cusecs into the Bhima River to manage potential flood risks.
The Nira River is also contributing significant water volume to the Bhima River near Nrusinhpur, further increasing the flood risk. Authorities have issued flood warnings to the villages along the Bhima River.
The dam holds a total of 117 TMC of water, with 53 TMC being usable, representing 99% of its full capacity. The discharge of over 150,000 cusecs from Khadakwasla and Bund Garden through Daund has led to the controlled release of water from Ujani Dam into the Bhima River's basin, the dam's left and right canals, and the Bhima-Sina link canal.
Currently, 101,600 cusecs, including 1,600 cusecs for hydroelectric power generation, are being discharged from the dam. Sixteen gates have been opened to facilitate this release.
Additionally, a significant amount of water from the Nira River is flowing into the Bhima River, increasing the likelihood of flooding. The Bhima and Nira rivers converge near Nrusinhpur and flow towards Pandharpur, raising flood concerns for Pandharpur.
As of August 5, the Ujani Dam's discharge from Daund was recorded at 182,152 cusecs, with a total storage of 116.29 TMC and a usable capacity of 52.63 TMC, which is 98.23% full. The river discharge stood at 100,000 cusecs, with the powerhouse discharging 1,600 cusecs.
Raosaheb More, Executive Engineer, Ujani Dam stated, "At 9 AM, the discharge into the river from Ujani Dam was 80,000 cusecs. Due to the substantial increase in water storage, the discharge was increased to 100,000 cusecs at 11 AM. A flood alert has been issued, and the district administration has been notified."
