Maharashtra dams now 44% full, but are yet to level up to last year

The continuous torrential rain this past week has led to the filling up of crucial lakes supplying water to the city. But while dams and reservoirs across Maharashtra are 44 per cent full, having shot up by 15 percentage points in the last week, the bigger picture is not so reassuring.

The water levels (44 per cent) are significantly lower than what they were at this time last year (63 per cent), though higher than the levels in 2012 (30 per cent).

Dams in the Konkan region have the highest water levels, followed by Nagpur and Pune, while the lowest water levels have been reported from the 350 large, medium and small projects in Marathwada.

Of the seven dams that supply water to Mumbai, the Modaksagar dam and Tulsi lake have overflown while water levels in Tansa and Vihar are at 68 per cent and 61 per cent respectively. The Middle Vaitarna dam has 42 per cent water while the Bhatsa and Vaitarna projects have 60 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.

The Khadakwasla and Panshet dams, which supply water to Pune, have 98 per cent and 54 per cent water while the Barvi dam in Thane holds 69 per cent water. The Koyna dam, which can generate around 1,956 MW power and accounts for a major chunk of the state's hydroelectric power generation holds 58 per cent water.

Senior water resource department officials said the Marathwada region where levels have almost remained the same as the previous week due to scanty precipitation, was an area of concern. Other parts of the state are in better condition: The 158 small, medium and large irrigation projects in the Konkan region are 78 per cent full, they are followed by Nagpur (366 projects at 65 per cent), Pune (368 projects at 51 per cent), Amravati (449 projects at 44 per cent), Nashik (350 projects at 31per cent). Marathwada's 804 irrigation projects have recorded just 15 per cent. The 16 other dams including those controlled by the BMC have 60 per cent water.

The Jaikwadi dam in Aurangabad, the second largest after Koyna, had just 1 per cent useful content. Some dams like Mazalgaon and Manjara in Marathwada have no useful water content. The Ujani dam in Solapur also has 0 per cent water content.

Levels across state
Water levels (44 per cent) are significantly lower than what they were at this time last year (63 per cent), though higher than the levels in 2012 (30 per cent).

Of the seven dams that supply water to Mumbai, the Modaksagar dam and Tulsi lake have overflown while water levels in Tansa and Vihar are at 68 per cent and 61 per cent respectively.

Dams in the Konkan region have the highest water levels (78%), followed by Nagpur (65%) and Pune (51%), while the lowest water levels have been reported from the 350 large, medium and small projects in Marathwada (15%).

Dams like Mazalgaon and Manjara in Marathwada have no useful water content. The Ujani dam in Solapur also has 0 per cent water content.