Heavy Rain Pushes Khadakwasla Dam Towards 80% Capacity; Water Release Likely Soon, Citizens Advised to Stay Away from Riverbed

Pune, 22nd July 2026: The Khadakwasla Irrigation Division has issued a public advisory warning that water may soon be released from the Khadakwasla Dam spillway as heavy rainfall continues across the dam’s catchment area.

According to the Irrigation Department, the Khadakwasla reservoir was 73% full at 7 am on Wednesday. With intense rainfall continuing in the catchment and inflows steadily increasing, officials said the reservoir is likely to reach 80% capacity or more within the next few hours, making the release of water from the spillway highly likely, depending on rainfall conditions.

Authorities have urged residents to stay out of the riverbed and immediately shift any livestock, equipment or other belongings from low-lying areas along the river. Citizens living in vulnerable areas have also been advised to remain alert and follow instructions issued by local authorities.

The advisory was issued by the Executive Engineer, Khadakwasla Irrigation Division, Pune, who appealed to the public to exercise caution and cooperate with the Irrigation Department.

Current Status of Pune’s Dam System
As of 6 am on July 22, the four major reservoirs supplying water to Pune held a combined 19.26 TMC of water, representing 66.08% of their total storage capacity, compared to 23.11 TMC (79.28%) on the corresponding day last year.

The reservoir-wise status is as follows:
Khadakwasla Dam: 467 mm rainfall in the catchment, 71.56% storage (1.41 TMC), with an inflow of 269 mcft.
Panshet Dam: 80 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours, 70.99% storage (7.56 TMC), with an inflow of 398 mcft.
Varasgaon Dam: 79 mm rainfall, 66.11% storage (8.47 TMC), receiving an inflow of 546 mcft.
Temghar Dam: Recorded the highest rainfall at 140 mm, with 48.91% storage (1.81 TMC) and an inflow of 167 mcft.

The combined inflow into all four reservoirs stood at 1,380 mcft on Wednesday morning.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting continued heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, officials are closely monitoring reservoir levels and may regulate water releases to ensure dam safety. Residents living along the Mutha River have been advised to remain vigilant and avoid venturing into the river channel until further notice.