Pune’s Khadakwasla Dam Faces Threat from Unregulated Wastewater Disposal
Khadakwasla, 30th November 2023: Startling revelations have emerged from an inspection conducted by Zilla Parishad officials regarding the disposal of wastewater into Pune City’s vital water source, Khadakwasla Dam. The investigation uncovered that several lakh litres of untreated wastewater from 24 Gram Panchayats, hotels, and resorts surrounding the dam are being directly released into Khadakwasla Dam, posing a significant threat to Pune City’s drinking water supply.
As Pune continues to experience rapid urbanization, the picturesque Khadakwasla Dam and Sinhagad Fort have become popular destinations, attracting a surge of tourists during weekends and holidays. The increased tourism has led to the establishment of numerous large hotels and resorts in the vicinity of Khadakwasla Dam. Shockingly, it has been revealed that many of these establishments have neither obtained permission from the Gram Panchayat Khadakwasla for construction nor implemented wastewater treatment measures.
The report prepared by Pune Zilla Parishad indicates that approximately 1 lakh 94 thousand 580 litres of wastewater are generated daily from the 24 Gram Panchayats in the Haveli and Velhe talukas. This untreated wastewater, originating from a population of around 55 thousand, along with the multitude of hotels and resorts in the Khadakwasla Dam area, is being directly discharged into the dam.
Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Ramesh Chavan, alarmed by these findings, has announced plans to implement long-term measures to address the issue.
