Maharashtra irrigation department set to provide water to Marathwada region

The Maharashtra irrigation department will Thursday release water from two dams in Nashik district and one dam in Ahmednagar district for the Jayakwadi dam in the Marathwada region.

 The decision to release the water from Darna and Gangapur dams in Nashik district and Mukane dam in Ahmednagar district was taken at a meeting held in Aurangabad, following the directions of the supreme court, an official said. 

"The irrigation department will release 2.04 TMC water from Darna and Mukane dams and 0.60 TMC water from Gangapur dam," said R R Shinde, Executive Engineer, Nashik Irrigation department. Jayakwadi dam is located on the Godavari river in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad district. 

The decision was taken in view of drought in the Marathwada region. Farmers in Nashik and Ahmednagar district had opposed the release of the water from dams to Jayakwadi claiming that their crops will suffer due to less availability of water. 

The state water resource department has appealed to farmers not to obstruct the flow of water or resort to protests in view of the SC order. 

(With inputs from agencies.)