Tight security at Panshet and Warasgaon dams soon

The state water resources department will recover the land leased out to a government resort between Panshet and Warasgaon dams, 45km from Pune.

The decision follows a directive on December 22 to beef up security at all dams due to the terror threat.

The Mumbai police had recovered maps of Koyna dam from a suspected Pakistani spy, Abdul Gafoor Mozawala, who was arrested on December 9. Panshet and Warasgaon dams are among the four reservoirs that supply water to Pune city.

Restrictions would now also be placed on boating in Panshet dam and the ‘chowpatty’ near Khadakwasla dam.

There was growing apprehension among intelligence agencies that the dams supplying drinking water to the state may face chemical attacks. The map found in possession of Mozawala has added to their fear. Home minister RR Patil took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Superintending engineer (Pune irrigation circle), AV Surve, who attended the meeting, told DNA on Thursday that there was an urgent need to beef up security at all four dams of the Khadakwasla system as they supply water to the city. “Any problem in these dams would lead to serious trouble in Pune,” he said.

Surve said the resort located between Panshet and Warasgaon dams should be brought under the control of water resources department, considering the security requirement to control unauthorised access to the two dams. He said the department would soon initiate process to get back the land given to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) on lease.

The superintending engineer said that although the tourism in the dams would not be completely stopped, “there would be reasonable restrictions on boating in Panshet dam and on the ‘chowpatty’
adjoining the backwater of Khadakwasla dam.”

There are 20 dams in Pune district and security would be beefed up at all these dams.