Pune Dam Storage on November 1: Region’s Dams at 77.8% Against 92.8% Last Year; Khadakwasla Only 55%, Small Dams at 34%

Pune, 1st November 2026: The monsoon is over and the numbers are in. Dams across the Pune revenue region held 77.81% of their live storage capacity on 1 November, according to the state Water Resources Department’s daily report. On the same date last year, they were at 92.81%. That 15-point gap explains why the city is already living with a weekly water cut and why an alternate-day supply is being discussed for after Diwali.

The big picture across the region

The Pune region, which covers Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur districts, has 728 dams with a designed live capacity of 15,366 million cubic metres (MCM). Live storage on 1 November stood at 11,955.87 MCM.

The smaller dams have been hit hardest. Minor projects, which villages depend on for drinking water and rabi irrigation, are at about a third of capacity. This fits with the state’s decision to declare drought in 265 talukas in September, including eight in Pune district: Bhor, Velhe, Khed, Shirur, Baramati, Indapur, Daund and Purandar.

Dam-wise picture near Pune

Several large dams filled up, but the one Pune city depends on most did not.

• Bhatghar: 99.56%
• Nira Deoghar: 99.36%
• Dimbhe: 98.20%
• Gunjawani: 96.39%
• Pawana (supplies Pimpri-Chinchwad): 90.94%
• Varasgaon: 85.86%
• Temghar: 85.48%
• Panshet: 78.89%
• Mulshi (Tata): 78.77%
• Khadakwasla: 55.55%
• Lonavala (Tata): 26.45%

Officials say the four-dam Khadakwasla system, made up of Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar, holds about 24 TMC. That is lower than a typical year for this time. Pawana at over 90% is better news for Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Why the regional figure looks better than Pune’s reality

The 77.8% figure includes big irrigation dams such as Bhatghar and Nira Deoghar, which do not supply Pune city. The Khadakwasla chain is what matters for most PMC areas, and its share is fixed by the canal advisory committee. This year Pune’s allocation is 13 TMC, against an estimated need of about 21 TMC and 16 TMC last year. By the PMC’s own reported numbers, it had used 6.35 TMC by the end of October, leaving 6.65 TMC to last until 30 June 2027.

That is the arithmetic behind the weekly Thursday shutdown and the talk of alternate-day supply. Read our latest water cut update and check the water cut today page for your area.

What households can do

The rules already announced by the PMC ban the use of drinking water for washing vehicles, construction, gardens and swimming pools. Beyond that, the simple steps add up: fix leaking taps and flush tanks, store only what you need on supply days, and reuse RO reject water for mopping and plants. Housing societies with borewells or STPs should use that water for gardens and common areas.

The weak monsoon also links to the bigger climate pattern this year. Our explainer on El Nino and La Nina in 2026 explains what it could mean for next year’s rain.

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