Panel urges state to release water reserved for Kumbh for irrigation activities

NASHIK: The Godavari Canal Advisory Committee (GCAC) has demanded the state government and the water resources department to release the reserved for Kumbh for irrigation.
In meeting held at Rahata in Kopargaon taluka of Ahmednagar on Saturday, the committee adopted the resolution demanding the water resource department and the state government to cancel the reservation of 500 million cubic feet of water for Kumbh and instead, release it for irrigation purpose."The meeting was held in the presence of the elected representatives and other members, including the chairman of the cooperative sugar factories and farmers. It was decided in the meeting that the reservation of water for the Kumbh mela should be cut down and be given to the farmers," said executive engineer of the Nashik irrigation division Sunil Bafana, who is also the ex-officio chairperson of the committee.
The panel also demanded that the reservation of water for industries like the Indian Bulls power plant be scrapped and the water be diverted for irrigation in Sinnar taluka. "Water is required in Sinnar taluka for irrigation. Instead of reserving it for industrial use, it should be released for irrigation purpose," said Rajabhau Vaje, member of the legislative assembly, Sinnar.
He also condemned load shedding along the canal when the rotation of water is released. "The areas along the canal have been facing load shedding every time the water is released; this prohibits the farmers from drawing water from their wells as well. We want the system to be rectified," Vaje added. The farmers from the region questioned the manner in which the water was siphoned off from the irrigation quota for the urban areas and for non-irrigation use. "The dams are constructed for irrigation purpose. However, as many as 6.5 TMC (ten million cubic) feet of water has been reserved for non-irrigation purpose. This is killing agriculture. The region has received 85% rainfall this season and thus it is important that more water be reserved for irrigation. However, that did not happen. The farmers will agitate and if need be, will court arrest as well," Congress MLA Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said.
The panel demanded that no water be released for Jayakwadi dam in Aurangabad, as it has better water storage this year. "The water storage in Jayakwadi is better than last year and hence no water should be released from any of the dams in the district," former minister Shankarrao Kolhe said.