Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The executive director of Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) has been accused of reducing the release of surplus quantity of water from upstream dams in Godavari basin by 784 cusecs following the unseasonal rainfall in the district.
It may be noted that the ED had decided to release 8.6 TMC of water for Marathwada in Jayakwadi project from the upstream dams of Nashik and Ahmednagar districts on October 30. However, the ED changed his decision on his own and reduced the assured quantity of releasing water in Jayakwadi, said the highly placed sources. Henceforth, a water expert from Parbhani, Abhijeet Joshi-Dhanorkar, has registered a complaint requesting the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) to resume the supply as was decided.
Under the parameters of equal distribution of water, if the stock of water in Jayakwadi Project is not 65 per cent on October 15, then it was mandatory to release water from upstream dams before October 30.
It may be noted that the unseasonal rainfall started in Marathwada, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts simultaneously on November 26. As per the decision the release of surplus water started to reach Godavari basin. In the meantime, the executive director revised his previous decision and reduced the quantity of water in Jayakwadi Project, said the sources.
According to a higher official from Command Area Development Authority (CADA), as per the planning, the Jayakwadi project has received 156 million cubic metres (MCM) and the quantity will be 166 MCM by tomorrow morning.
Box
Release water as per schedule
According to an expert, Abhijeet Joshi-Dhanorkar has brought into notice of MWRRA saying that the post-monsoon release of surplus water has been considered in the conceptual design of Jayakwadi Project, but due to construction of KT-Weirs at different places in Ahmednagar and Nashik districts, the water is not getting. Now, due to the unseasonal rainfall and release of water from upstreams, the water storage in the Jayakwadi Project was supposed to upscale. In this situation, the reduction in release of the water by 784 cusecs is an injustice. Hence the MWRRA should direct the concerned office to resume the release of the quantity of water as was fixed by it.