The Khadakwasla Dam has been providing water to Pune since 1879, but now it faces big problems. The water quality is getting worse because of too much mud and pollution. The dam can hold less water now, going from 3.75 TMC to 1.75 TMC. People living near the dam aren’t doing enough to help keep the water clean, and the sewage systems aren’t working well, which is causing contamination.
Supriya Sule, the MP from Baramati, is working hard to make sure the water at Khadakwasla is clean. She’s getting support from the Union Environment Minister to create a better plan for cleaning the water. This is very important because there have been health issues, like Guillain-Barré syndrome, related to dirty water in the area.
Right now, the Pune Municipal Corporation provides around 93.86 million liters of water each day to nearby villages, but a lot of this water isn’t treated before it’s given out. The villages often rely on tankers for clean drinking water because their old pipes don’t have good purification systems.
Groups like NAAM are doing good work by cleaning out the mud from the dam to help it hold more water. They’re also planting trees to stop more mud from coming into the dam. Upgrading old water pipes to new ones is another way to save water and improve how it’s shared.
The dam is near important places like the National Defence Academy, which is both good and bad. While the area is beautiful, more people moving in is making it harder to manage the water supply. Local officials are starting projects to fix this by improving treatment plants and pipes.
It is very important to have a strong system to clean the water. People are becoming more aware of how important clean water is. It’s necessary for city leaders and local communities to work together to find solutions that can keep the Khadakwasla Dam a good source of clean water for everyone in the future.
