Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) today decided to release 8.6 TMC of water in Jayakwadi Dam to quench the thirst of the people of Marathwada from the upstreams of Ahmednagar and Nashik districts. Meanwhile, it is feared that 35 percent of water may percolate into the soil, therefore, Jayakwadi Dam is likely to receive 5.6 TMC of water only.
As reported earlier, the region is likely to face acute shortage of drinking water, barring Nanded and Hingoli districts, in the next summer. The region’s biggest storage - Jayakwadi Dam - has 45 percent of water in it. There is more than 90 percent water storage in the group of dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts.
According to the Maharashtra Water Resources Act and the principle of Equitable Distribution of Water, if the Jayakwadi project has less than 65 percent water storage on October 15, then it is mandatory to release water from the upstream dam for Marathwada.
The executive director of Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) is responsible to take the decision before October 31, in this regard. Hence the executive director Santosh Tirmanwar, on Monday, decided to release 8.6 TMC of water. He ordered the chief engineers of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nashik to implement the order, said the sources.
The administrator and the superintending engineer (Command Area Development Authority) S K Sabbinwar said, “The executive director has taken the decision of releasing water for Marathwada from upstreams as per Mendhegiri Committee formula. Of the total quantity of water released, 30-32 percent of water will percolate till it reaches Jayakwadi Dam. We would get 5.6 TMC of water.”
Welcoming the decision, the water expert Dr Shankar Nagare said,“The executive director has taken the decision reviewing the latest figures of water before him. The decision on either increasing or reducing the quantity of release of water in the dam from upstreams could be taken reviewing the loss of water in future.”