2 days ago
For first time in June, Ujani dam releases 50,000 cusecs of water as storage nears 75%
The Ujani dam in Maharashtra's Solapur district – one of the largest dams in the state – released 50,000 cusecs of water Tuesday evening. Never before has so much water been released from the dam in the month of June. The early release, triggered by sustained rainfall since May 9, marks an unprecedented rise in water levels of the dam earlier than usual. The early release, triggered by sustained rainfall since May 9, marks an unprecedented rise in water levels of the dam earlier than usual. (HT)
Raosaheb More, executive engineer, Ujani Dam Project, said, 'With storage crossing 70% over the past few days, we initiated controlled water release. As of this morning, the outflow has reached 50,000 cusecs. Never before has Ujani seen such levels in June.'
According to the latest data from the state water resources department, Ujani's live storage stood at 1,125.38 million cubic metres (MCM) or 74.17% of its total useful capacity as of June 24. This marks a dip from 1,161.80 MCM or 76.58% of its total useful capacity recorded the previous day at 8 am. On the same date last year, the dam had zero usable stock.
Officials attribute the surge in water levels to timely upstream releases and early monsoon runoff — a crucial relief for the drought-prone Solapur region and downstream areas dependent on the dam for irrigation and drinking water.
Ahead of Ashadhi Ekadashi on July 6, the irrigation department has initiated considerable water release from the Ujani dam as a precautionary measure for flood management.
A senior official from the department said that the decision is intended to ensure a 'controlled release' of water to avoid any flood-like situation in downstream areas, particularly in and around Pandharpur, where lakhs of Warkaris (devotees) are expected to gather for the annual pilgrimage.
Every year, around 10 lakh devotees converge at Pandharpur for a holy dip in the Chandrabhaga River, a tributary of the Bhima River. The water released from the Ujani dam flows into the Bhima River and passes through Pandharpur before eventually merging with the Krishna River at Sangam located on the border between Karnataka and Telangana.
In view of the rising water levels in the river at Pandharpur, the Solapur district administration has directed local authorities to initiate coordinated flood mitigation efforts and ensure the safety of devotees. The preparations have been intensified as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast increased rainfall across the state between June 26 and 28, which could lead to higher inflow at the Khadakwasla dam complex and subsequently at Ujani.
Officials said they are monitoring the situation closely and will adjust water discharge levels based on real-time rainfall and inflow data to maintain safety and avoid disruption during the religious event.
Meanwhile, the robust storage at Ujani mirrors an improved water scenario across the state. Maharashtra's overall dam storage stood at 40.24% of its total live capacity as of June 24, a significant improvement over 20.19% of its total live capacity on the same date last year. The early monsoon surge has helped bridge the shortfall caused by a dry spell earlier this month.
Among the various regions, Konkan leads with the highest reservoir storage at 49.66%, followed by Pune at 44.93%, Nashik at 39.40%, Amravati at 38.99%, and Nagpur at 31.24%. The Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar division continues to lag with 32.67% storage although this is markedly better than last year's 9.22% on the same date.
