Water on alternate days if rain still weak till July 7: Ajit Pawar

Speaking at a press conference, Pawar said all the four dams that serve the city - Khadakwasla, Varasgaon, Panshet and Temghar - had not received much rainfall so far and the total availability of water in the reservoirs was only 1.20 TMC till yesterday.

Waiting for more rain: The water level last week in Khadakwasla dam, one of the four dams supplying water to the city. File Pic

Pawar said while the four dams were 15 per cent full at the end of June last year, they were only 4 per cent full now. "Taking into consideration the water problem in the city, it was decided in a meeting held with senior government and PMC officials today (Tuesday) to stop supplying water to farmers and the available water will be used only for drinking purpose," Pawar said yesterday.

He also said that he had spoken to the builders' association and told it to not use drinking water for construction purpose in the city. u00a0On the water storage in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pawar said the Pawana reservoir that supplied water there was only 20 per cent full and the water would last the next 45 days. "I appeal to people to use drinking water with care and only sewage water should be used for construction," Pawar said.u00a0He rejected the suggestion to induce artificial rain in those parts of the state where rainfall has been less than satisfactory. He said such methods had failed in the past. u00a0