The Maharashtra Irrigation Department has stopped the Rabi-season water rotation from Khadakwasla Dam for agriculture in Pune district, citing drought conditions, while continuing a limited canal release for drinking-water supply to parts of Daund and Indapur until Wednesday, November 18.
The department said 300 million cubic feet of water would be released through the canal for drinking-water needs in Daund, Patas, Yवत and Indapur, along with some gram panchayats. The decision comes as authorities balance rural drinking-water requirements against reduced water availability and the demand for irrigation during the Rabi season.
Water is normally released through the Mutha Right Bank Canal for the eastern parts of Pune district from around the middle of October for Rabi cultivation. This year, however, the rotation began on September 25 after a break in rainfall attributed in the report to the effects of El Nino. The early release was intended to help protect crops from water stress.
The Rabi rotation was approved by Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. According to information provided by the Irrigation Department, 4.82 thousand million cubic feet, or TMC, of water had been supplied through the canal so far to Haveli, Daund and Indapur talukas during the rotation.
The closure was decided at a meeting of the Canal Advisory Committee, according to the department. The move changes the immediate allocation priority from agricultural irrigation to drinking-water supply for selected rural settlements. The department has not indicated in the supplied report whether the drinking-water release will be extended beyond November 18 or how future irrigation requests will be handled.
The decision highlights the pressure placed on canal systems when irregular rainfall and drought conditions affect both farming and household water supply. The Mutha Right Bank Canal serves as a critical distribution channel for Pune district’s eastern areas, where decisions on seasonal rotations determine how available reservoir water is divided between agriculture and local drinking-water requirements.
For residents and local administrations in Daund, Patas, Yवत and Indapur, the immediate issue is the continuation of the drinking-water release through Wednesday. For farmers in Haveli, Daund and Indapur, the closure means that the Rabi-season irrigation rotation has ended after the reported release of 4.82 TMC. The Irrigation Department’s next publicly stated milestone is the completion of the 300 million cubic feet drinking-water supply by November 18.
