Maharashtra: Water level in Marathwada dams at 27.68 per cent, officials concerned

“Overall, the monsoon has been good this year, which has helped increase the water stock in dams across the state. The Marathwada region is an exception, which is a cause of concern,” a source in the water resources department said. “If the Marathwada region continues to receive moderate rainfall till mid-September, we expect the water level in the dams to go up to 35-38 per cent,” the source said.

The water level in dams is significant as, on its basis, the government makes allocations for three crucial sectors — drinking water, agriculture and industries. “Our focus will be better coordination and planning in the Marathwada region. The highest priority will be drinking water followed by agriculture and industries,” said a senior official. “Most dams across the state have met or exceeded targets, which we consider as a positive development,” he added.

“Except for the eight districts in the Marathwada region, we don’t foresee any problems in drinking, agriculture or industrial water allocation in rest of Maharashtra even during peak summer beginning March 2019,” the official said.

Maharashtra has 3,264 dams — big, medium and small — designed to store 40,840 MCM water. Together, all the dams now have 26,146 MCM water, or 64.02 per cent of the total capacity.

In the Marathwada region, which is prone to drought, instead of entirely relying on dam water to irrigate crops, small and marginal farmers in recent years have started relying on water from jalyukt shivar projects, which stores rainwater, for irrigation, allowing them to sow at least one decent crop.

Significantly, the monsoon this year has helped increase the water level in dams in rest of the state, including Vidarbha, North and Western Maharashtra.

In Vidarbha’s Amravati, the region that has recorded most number of suicides by farmers in the past, the water level in 445 dams is 4,192 MCM or 52.39 per cent. Last year, it was only 22.67 per cent. In the coastal Konkan region, the water level in 176 dams is 3,510 MCM or 91.97 per cent, marginally lower than last year’s 93.08 per cent.

In Vidarbha’s Nagpur region, the water stock in 384 dams is 43.94 per cent, significantly up from last year’s 25.91 per cent. In the 570 dams in Nashik region (North Maharashtra), the water level, at 58.37 per cent, is slightly lower than last year’s 65.31 per cent. In Western Maharashtra’s Pune region, the water stock in 725 dams is a good 13,193 MCM or 86.66 per cent, up from last year’s 78.91 per cent.

Dams which have zero water stock includes Sina Kolegaon (Osmanabad district) in the Marathwada region. Last year also, the water stock was only 3.84 per cent.

Dams with low water stock includes Mazalgaon (1.12 per cent) and Manjara (4.20 per cent) in Beed district. The water level in these two dams last year was 9.28 per cent and 29.84 per cent, respectively. The Yeldari dam in Hingoli district (Marathwada region) has a water level at 7.49 per cent, slightly better than previous year’s 4.01 per cent.

The good news is, there are several dams where the water level has touched 100 per cent. These are Kadwa (Sangli); Waghad; Radhanagari; Chaskaman, Khadakwasla, Panshet, Pawana, Warasgaon (all in Pune district); Barvi; Kawdas (Palghar), Dina (Gadchiroli) and Bhandardhara (Amhednagar).

Dams where the water level has crossed 90 per cent are Pus (99.90 per cent), Dhamni (98.82), Bhatsa (94.99), Upper Ghatghar (90.86), Warna (95.25), Dhom (94.04), Dhom-Balkawadi (97.38), Kanher (97.27), Koyna (98.66), Tarali (94.86), Urmodi (98.57), Veer (99.16), Bhima (98.78), Middle Vaitarna (95.13), Modaksagar (99.97), Tansa (99.32), Mulsi Tata (91.58), Shirata Tata (95.06), Thokerwadi Tata (90.47).