Pimpri-Chinchwad: Heavy rainfall in the Pawana Dam catchment has brought relief from the city's water crisis, but it also disrupted water supply and electricity in several parts of Pimpri-Chinchwad since Monday morning.
The Pawana Dam received 426 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, raising its live storage from 27.62% to 55.07%. The sharp rise in water storage has eased concerns over water availability after the reservoir had dropped to just 16% last month, forcing the Water Resources Department to impose a 15% water cut from 19th June.
Water Supply Affected…
However, water supply across parts of the city was affected after a power outage at the Ravet water lifting centre stopped water lifting operations. Pumping at the Sector 23 water purification plant was also shut down.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) said water lifting will resume once power supply is restored at the Ravet centre. Water supply will then be restored in phases. The civic body appealed to residents to use the available water sparingly until normal supply resumes.
Electricity Supply Disrupted…
At the same time, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) shut down power supply in several flood-affected areas as a safety measure. Electricity was disconnected after floodwater entered electrical installations and power infrastructure in many places. In Rajgurunagar division, power supply to 569 transformers was shut down. These included transformers in Chakan, Chakan MIDC, Wadgaon Maval, Lonavala, Talegaon and Rajgurunagar. Power was later restored to two feeders in Chakan city.
In the Bhosari division, power supply from the 22 kV Dehu Gaon feeder was stopped due to waterlogging. Floodwater also entered the switching stations at Sector 24 and the EWS area, forcing officials to shut down the outgoing power supply. In Pimpri division, water entered electrical equipment near Bhondve Corner and at the Ghanshyam switching station, disrupting supply. MSEDCL said alternative arrangements were made to restore power to some affected areas, while restoration work is continuing. In Nagar Road division, power supply to four transformers was shut down after flooding in parts of Vishrantwadi.
MSEDCL said some feeders near Ambethan village were also temporarily switched off to help the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) carry out rescue operations safely. Officials urged people not to touch electrical equipment in flooded areas and to cooperate until the situation returns to normal.
Water Woes To Solve?
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall continued across the Pavana Dam catchment. The dam area recorded 426 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, taking the season's total rainfall to 1,208 mm.
Pavana Dam is the main source of water for Pimpri-Chinchwad. The city currently receives around 650 million litres of water every day, including 550 million litres from Pavana Dam, 80 million litres from Andra Dam and 20 million litres from MIDC.
