Ponda: Rainfall between Monday and early Thursday led to a 21cm rise in the water level of the Mhaisal dam at Panchawadi in Ponda taluka, according to the water resources department (WRD).Though rainfall in the catchment area has been limited, the reservoir level is gradually increasing, WRD executive engineer Shailesh Naik said. With the latest rise, the dam’s storage has increased from 75.28 hectare metres (HaM) on Monday to 80.74 HaM on Thursday. The reservoir’s full storage capacity is 436.8 HaM.Between Monday and early Wednesday, WRD recorded 194.4mm of rainfall in the dam’s catchment area.Naik said the water level is expected to continue rising if the region receives regular rainfall over the next fortnight.The dam supplies water to Panchawadi and parts of Shiroda. The water treatment plant at Gauliwada, located atop the Panchawadi hills, draws 10-12 million litres per day (MLD) for treatment and distribution to both villages.The reservoir level had been declining since early June due to the monsoon deficit. Despite the low storage, water supply to Panchawadi and Shiroda remained uninterrupted through the Mhaisal treatment plant.With storage levels now improving, the division has increased potable water supply to meet residents’ requirements, Naik said.