Ghorawadi Dam in Purandar is facing a worsening water shortage as local residents allege that 40 to 50 electricity-powered pumps are drawing water from the reservoir, raising concerns over drinking-water supplies to Saswad and nearby villages. The report was published on October 30, 2026, as lower rainfall, rising temperatures and the possible impact of El Niño increase pressure on available water resources.
The dam has a total storage capacity of 67.50 million cubic feet (MCFT), but its water level is falling rapidly, irrigation department branch engineer Avinash Jagtap said, according to the report. With temperatures increasing, demand for water is also expected to rise. Authorities have been urged to regulate use of the remaining stock and give priority to drinking water.
Ghorawadi Dam supplies the Dive Regional Water Supply Scheme. The scheme provides drinking water to Saswad city as well as Supe-Ghorawadi, Shivtare Vasti, Chavan Vasti, Pimple, Poman Nagar, Datemala and Bhiwdi, according to information provided by irrigation department messenger S. H. Korpade.
The reservoir also supports around 55 hectares of agricultural land in the surrounding area. This creates competing demands on a limited water stock, with drinking-water requirements for urban and rural settlements existing alongside irrigation needs.
Local residents have alleged that large-scale extraction is currently taking place through 40 to 50 electricity pumps in the dam area. The allegation has not been described in the report as the result of a completed administrative inspection. However, residents have warned that continued uncontrolled extraction could place additional pressure on the reservoir and disrupt planned water supplies to the villages dependent on it.
Vishwas Katkar, president of the Ghorawadi Reservoir Water Supply Committee, said the issue could create problems for the planned supply to villages if extraction remains unchecked. Santosh Jadhav, former deputy sarpanch of Supe, demanded a joint team comprising the revenue, police and water-resources departments to prevent unauthorised extraction from the reservoir and its main canals.
Residents have also asked the administration to prepare a water-distribution plan and conduct a physical inspection of extraction activity around the dam. They have sought action under the applicable rules if unauthorised pumping is found. The report does not state whether a joint inspection has been ordered or whether any enforcement action has yet been taken.
