Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
“The report given by the Godavari Study Group headed by Pramod Mandade, Director General of the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI) of Nashik has recommended cutting the water release from the upstream part of the Jayakwadi project. How can you give this water cut report on a one-year evaporation study, said Ambadas Danve, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council in the legislature on Tuesday.
He said that Marathwada is known as a region with low rainfall, despite this, the Study Group formed by the government on the demand of the leaders of Ahilyanagar and Nashik gave a report to reduce Marathwada's water share by 7 per cent.
He said that there is strong anger in Marathwada against this report. Ambadas Danve raised questions on this report and drew the attention of the government. Danve said that Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil's organisation had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to prevent Marathwada from getting its rightful water.
A report was given to reduce the region's water share based on the evaporation of water from Jayakwadi. “This report was presented on a single year's study. The climate changes every year. In this context, the Godavari Study Group's report stated that evaporation was halving and recommended water reduction,” he said.
There were doubts about this report. Danve demanded that water should not be reduced based on a report based on only one year's evaporation.
“Mandade is the chairman of the committee, which takes a stand that Marathwada should not get water. The members of the committee, who take a stand against the equitable distribution of water to Marathwada, gave this report. The report on the reduction of water in Jayakwadi Dam has been prepared in the old way. Whether the report will be prepared using the river basis simulation method using new technology,” said Danve while raising a question in the house.