Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Two years, former minister of water resources Jayant Patil sanctioned the proposal of utilising an additional quantity of 19.29 TMC of water from the middle of the sub-basin of Godavari for Marathwada, on the Vijayadashami in 2021. The proposal seems to have been set aside as nothing has proceeded afterwards. Meanwhile, the experts claimed that the announcement cheated the people of Marathwada.
This year, there is a shortage of 15 percent of rainfall in Marathwada. All six districts of the region, excluding Nanded and Hingoli districts, are likely to face acute water scarcity in the coming summer.
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The minister’s statement in 2021
The decision over water utilisation from Godavari Valley’s middle of Godavari sub-basin has been reserved in 1975. By correcting the shortcomings, a quantity of 19.29 TMC of water was available to us. I had signed the file. The Marathwada will be benefitting through it. The project which was lying incomplete will be completed. The problems of the projects passing through Beed, Hingoli and Nanded will be resolved, said the former minister Jayant Patil (October 15, 2021).
Claim by GMIDC
The Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) was of the opinion that the decision was made by keeping the pre-1975 water usage intact. Parbhani, Nanded, Beed, Hingoli district will benefit and some new projects will come up there. This was also the claim of the corporation at that time.
When contacted the chief engineer (GMIDC) Vijay Ghogare, to know the number of new projects built in two years and who is using its water, but he was not available to comment on the issue.
Misleading of Marathwada
The sanctioning of two proposals including usage of additional quantity of 44.54 TMC till the Lower Painganga Project and providing 19.29 TMC of water from the sub-basin of Middle Godavari, seems to be misleading. The state government misled the people of Marathwada in 2021. The claim that the region will benefit through it is proving to be false. There is no alternative to benefit Marathwada but to get water from Daman Ganga, said the former member of Marathwada Vikas Mandal Shankar Nagare.