Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has planned to undertake lake tapping at Bhama Ashkhed dam and add this water to the city’s water supply. The water drawn in this fashion will be transported for 42 km from the dam, for which special pipelines are being laid. “The idea of introducing this technique was to have sufficient water stock in peak summer. Under this technique, water from the lowest level of the dam will be drawn out, thereby adding to the existing water stock,” Prashant Waghmare, City Engineer and in-charge of Bhama Ashkhed project, told Sakal Times. This will be the third time that dam water is being administered the lake tapping technique in Maharashtra. The first of its kind tapping ever done in Asia was at Koyana dam in 1999. A similar attempt was also made to use water from Modak Sagar lake by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). According to PMC officials, the water from this dam will be supplied to Vadgaonsheri, Kharadi, Sangamwadi and Ahmednagar Road areas. The main reason, authorities state for introducing this technique, is the dwindling water level in dams during summer months. “In this situation, it becomes impossible to draw water from the dam. In case of lake tapping, maximum water can be drawn,” said the officials. Earlier, the State government had approved 2 TMC ft water from Bhama Ashkhed dam for drinking purpose for Pune city. Also, the Central government under the JNNURM had sanctioned Rs 380 crore for the project. Currently, the PMC is digging near the dam and would do so until it crosses the dam level, after which it will build a tunnel below the water level. With the help of this specially built tunnel, water from the deepest level will be drawn with the support of a motor pump before being sent to the city. Hydrologists have designed the set up in such a way that gravity will contribute in drawing the water. The PMC has entrusted ITD Cementation India Limited to carry out the major work of this project. The company has already erected small dams within Bhama Ashkhed for excavation purposes. Commenting on the progress of the work, Waghmare said that at present there are simultaneous works of laying of water pipelines, building a pump house which is close to the dam, erecting a water treatment plant near the industrial area in Chakan and building water tanks in eastern parts of the city.