PUNE: The southwest monsoon is likely to make further progress over Maharashtra from June 23, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest forecast issued on Friday. However, it is not yet clear whether the advancement will first occur over western Maharashtra or Vidarbha.The southwest monsoon is likely to make further progress over Maharashtra from June 23, the India Meteorological Department said in its latest forecast issued on Friday. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))“Rainfall conditions are likely to improve, particularly in southern Maharashtra, from June 22 onwards. It is too early to comment on July rainfall at this stage. The forecast for July and August will be issued by the end of June. For Pune, no major activity is expected for the next four days,” said Sudeep Kumar, scientist, IMD.The progress of the monsoon in Maharashtra has been stalled for nearly 12 days, while its onset over Pune has been delayed by around 10 days. The delayed monsoon and the lack of pre-monsoon showers have prompted authorities to step up water conservation measures. Concerns have also been raised over the possible impact of El Nino, with forecasts indicating below-normal rainfall in several parts of the country.Pune has already started implementing alternate-day water supply, prioritising drinking water requirements. Against this backdrop, Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Thursday visited the IMD office in Shivajinagar to review rainfall forecasts and discuss water management planning. He was accompanied by additional municipal commissioner Prajit Nair and deputy commissioner and disaster management department head Ganesh Sonune.During the meeting, IMD officials briefed civic authorities on rainfall forecasts for June to September, expected rainfall patterns in Pune and the catchment areas of the Khadakwasla dam chain, and the possible impact of global weather patterns such as El Nino and La Nina.PMC officials said that IMD scientists indicated that rainfall activity is expected to improve in July, with chances of good rainfall in the Khadakwasla catchment areas. Based on the assessment, officials said citizens need not panic but should continue using water judiciously until such time rainfall improves.Ram said that the civic body has started taking measures to avoid a bigger water crisis due to deficient rainfall. “The PMC has already implemented alternate-day water cuts. We have also started taking steps to ensure judicious use of water. Hopefully, the situation will improve once rainfall picks up in July,” he said.Nair said that the purpose of the IMD visit is to understand the rainfall forecast and localised precipitation patterns during the monsoon to help the civic body prepare better for urban flooding.Sonune said that during periods of rainfall scarcity, measures such as water harvesting and soil conservation are usually undertaken to reduce the impact of a possible crisis.