Release of water into dam stopped on pretext of Maratha quota stir: Ashok Chavan

Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan alleged that the Maharashtra government halted the release of water into the Jayakwadi dam, citing concerns about the law and order situation amid the Maratha quota agitation.

Chavan also posted a letter, purportedly written by an executive engineer of the Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation to the state Water Resources Department, on social media. The release of water into the dam was halted in accordance with the government's directive due to the law and order challenges stemming from the Maratha quota agitation, stated the letter. The agitation had escalated into violence earlier this month.

What is the connection between the release of water into the Jayakwadi dam and the ongoing Maratha quota stir? There should not be any attempt to defame the Maratha community's agitation and delay the release of water for the Marathwada region, Chavan said on X. This is a deliberate attempt to malign the Maratha quota agitation, he alleged.

State minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan said the letter was wrong as the quota agitation and the release of water were unrelated issues. Manoj Jarange, who is spearheading the quota agitation, also questioned the link between the two issues. 

Jayakwadi is the largest reservoir in the Marathwada region of central Maharashtra, currently grappling with water scarcity amid an unsatisfactory monsoon. The Supreme Court had previously mandated the release of water from upstream reservoirs into the Jayakwadi project, a vital source supplying water to Marathwada.