Aurangabad, Oct 24:
The Jayakwadi dam has been discharging water for the last 49 days, and during this period enough water has been released from the dam to fill another dam. The highest discharge of 102 TMC of water from Jayakwadi was done in 2006, after which 78 TMC of water has been released till date this year and discharge from the dam will continue, said Rajendra Kale, executive engineer, Jayakwadi.
The water was first released from Jayakwadi dam in 1975. This year release started from September 5 and is going on since 49 consecutive days. Earlier the dam released water mostly for 15 to 17 days. It is noteworthy that the discharge is likely to continue for a few more days, said dam engineer Sandeep Rathore. It has come to light that the dam which is dependent on water from Nashik city every year has become self-sufficient this year. Due to heavy rains in the local catchment area, enough water has entered the dam to fill it twice to its full capacity. Similarly, 10 TMC water has been received from the dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts.
78 TMC discharge in 49 days
Discharge from Jayakwadi is still going on, and in the last 49 days, more than the total livestock of the dam, i.e. 78 TMC water. Kale informed that 28 TMC water got released for the hydropower project and 17 TMC from the right canal.
Discharge in last few years
It is recorded that 39,852 cusecs were discharged from Paithan in 1975 while the work of Jayakwadi dam gates was pending. In 1976, 27 gates of the dam were lifted, and 1,50,000 cusecs was released. Water was discharged from the dam for seven consecutive years from 1975 to 1981. Water was not released in 1982, however, 80,195 cusecs water was released in 1983. Dam gates remained closed from 1984 to 1987 and in 1989. Discharge resumed in 1988. 1,87,652 cusecs water was released in in 1990 and 59,408 cusecs in 1991. Water was not released from 1992-97 due to drought. In 1998 and 1999 discharged resumed. The water storage in the dam had to be used sparingly from 2000-04, 2009 to 2016 and in 2018. However, in these 21 years, the water had to be released from the dam with a full capacity between 2005 and 2008. In 2017 it was 27,846 cusecs, and in 2019 it was 50,304 cusecs. This year, 9,40,000 cusecs have been discharged with maximum capacity.
Floods in Paithan city
Water was released on October 12, 1990, with a capacity of 1,87,652 cusecs. The city of Paithan was flooded due to failure to open the gates of the lower dams on time. Paithan was submerged for six days in 2006 due to the discharge of 2,50,695 from the dam in August.