Water from the Chaskaman dam will not be diverted to Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Khed taluka will receive priority in allocation under the existing plan, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Babaji Kale said during an inspection of rain-damaged water infrastructure in the area on October 19.
Kale dismissed speculation that water from Chaskaman dam could be redirected to the industrial city and said distribution would take into account the drinking-water quota already reserved in the Bhama Askhed and Kalmodi dams. His statement places Khed’s local water requirement at the centre of the current allocation plan amid continuing attention on water availability across Pune district.
Kale also said water connections would not be discontinued until the rabi season. The assurance is significant for residents and agricultural users who depend on continued access through the post-monsoon and winter cultivation period. The report did not specify the number of affected connections, the volume reserved for Khed or the exact allocation proposed for other urban and rural users.
The MLA inspected the Kharpudi weir along with Zilla Parishad member Deepti Bhogade after heavy rainfall damaged the structure. The weir is used to impound water, making its repair relevant to local storage and distribution, although the source did not provide details of the extent of structural damage or the quantity of water currently held there.
Kale said repairs to the Kharpudi weir would be completed and water impounded within eight days. He separately directed officials to complete the repair work within eight to 10 days, indicating that the restoration is expected to be treated as an immediate local works programme. The instructions included replacing the old iron gates and using excavated soil to fill agricultural land that was washed away during the heavy rainfall.
The proposed gate replacement points to a maintenance issue alongside the damage caused by the weather. The source did not state which department or agency would execute the work, how it would be funded, or whether a technical assessment had been completed. It also did not clarify whether the eight-day water-impounding target and the eight-to-10-day repair timeline refer to the same stage of work.
Several local representatives and residents were present during the inspection. No separate statement from Pimpri-Chinchwad authorities, the district administration or the agencies managing the Bhama Askhed, Kalmodi and Chaskaman systems was cited in the report.
For Khed, the immediate milestones are the continuation of water connections through the rabi season, restoration of the Kharpudi weir and completion of the proposed gate replacement. The next stated deadline is the completion of repairs within eight to 10 days, with water impounding expected within eight days, according to Kale.
