Public donation to fight legal battle in Supreme Court

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The combined hearing on the special leave petitions (SLPs) filed by leaders and social workers of Ahmednagar and Nashik district objecting to the releasing of water from upstream dams for Marathwada will be held in the Supreme Court on April 2.

Meanwhile, the Marathwada Pani Hak Parishad (MPHP) and Marathwada Association of Small-Scale Industries and Agriculture (MASSIA) have started the drive to collect donations to fight the legal battle in the Apex Court.

Earlier, the High Court had ordered the administration concerned not to grant permission for the construction of new dams in the Ahmednagar and Nashik districts. These places are situated on the upstream of the Paithan’s Jayakwadi Project.

The State Government had also taken a positive decision in this regard. There are also standing instructions from the court to release water in the Godavari basin from upstream dams if the water storage capacities in the dams of Marathwada are less (measured on October 15) than the prescribed parameters, under the equal distribution of water scheme.

However, the leaders from the above two districts have been objecting to the implementation of the order for the past few years. They are even creating pressure on the government. Meanwhile, the combined hearing on the SLPs filed by them in 2017 will be heard in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Hence to bear the expense and pay the fees of an expert lawyer to represent the voice of Marathwada, the MPHP, MASSIA, Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA), CSN First and a few donors have become active in collecting the donations.

MASSIA and MPHP president Anil Patil

said,“ We will fight for the rightful share of water for Marathwada in the Supreme Court. The combined hearing of the SLPs filed by the leaders of Ahmednagar and Nashik districts will be held in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. We require around

Rs 7-8 lakh to pay the fees of lawyer. After the appeal, a collection of donations to the tune of Rs 3.5 lakh was made. There is a need for more money. Hence we appeal to the donors to come forward and voluntarily donate money by depositing it in the account of MASSIA.”