Kukadi Project Water Levels Plunge to 40%; Canal Irrigation Set to Close on April 10 Amid Rising Heat

The agricultural lifeline for seven tehsils in Western Maharashtra is facing a severe squeeze as water levels in the Kukadi Project have plummeted to just 40.12% of their useful capacity. According to Ganesh Nannor, Executive Engineer of Kukadi Irrigation Division No. 1, the total useful storage in the project’s five major dams stands at 11.09 TMC as of late March 2026. With the summer heat intensifying, the irrigation department has confirmed that the current water rotation for the Kukadi Left Bank Canal, which began on March 5, will officially be terminated on April 10, 2026.

The rapid depletion of the reservoir is attributed to the month-long continuous supply for summer crops and an increasing evaporation rate. Before this summer rotation started, the project held a comfortable 17.995 TMC (60.64%) of water. However, the 250-km long Kukadi Left Bank Canal is currently drawing 1450 cusecs, while the Dimbhe Left Bank and Meena Branch canals are also operating at peak capacities to meet the desperate demands of farmers. Although the Kukadi project is technically designed for eight-month irrigation, the massive expansion of orchards and cash crops across Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur, Parner, Karjat, Karmala, and Shrigonda has forced the administration to stretch supplies.

The five key dams—Yedgaon, Wadaj, Manikdoh, Pimpalgaon Joge, and Dimbhe—have a combined useful storage capacity of 29.50 TMC. While the project currently meets the needs of thousands of farmers, the looming threat of water scarcity for the next three months (until the monsoon arrives) has sparked widespread concern. Local farming communities are worried that if the remaining 11 TMC is not managed strictly for drinking water and essential perennial crops, the region could face a repeat of the 2019 drought-like situation.

The closure of the canal on April 10 marks the end of the final major rotation for the current season. Farmers who have planted summer vegetables or fodder crops are being advised to optimize their remaining water shares through micro-irrigation or farm ponds. The irrigation department is also monitoring illegal water lifting along the canal stretches to ensure that the tail-end farmers in Karjat and Karmala receive their fair share before the gates are shut.

As the region moves into the peak of summer, the management of the remaining 40% storage will be a balancing act between agricultural survival and drinking water security for several municipal councils and hundreds of villages.