Water stock in major dams of the Marathwada region in Maharashtra is currently 14 per cent more as compared to last year, officials said on Sunday.
The irrigation department is expecting an increase in the irrigated land area and revenue this year as the reservoirs have good water stock, an official told PTI.
The Marathwada region comprises Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani districts.
According to a report of the irrigation department released on Sunday, the water stock in nine dams of the region is 5,493.92 MCM (million cubic metres), which is 98.98 per cent of their total storage capacity.
The water stock in these projects last year on this date was 84.03 per cent, the report said. As of now, there is 100 per cent water stock in Jayakwadi dam (in Aurangabad), one of the biggest reservoirs in the region, Majalgaon dam (Beed), Yeldari (Hingoli), Nimna Manar (Nanded) and Nimna Dudhana (Parbhani).
Besides, the Siddheshwar dam (Hingoli) has 99.8 per cent stock, followed by Nimna Terna (Osmanabad)-98.46 per cent and Sina Kolegaon (Osmanabad)-95.39 per cent, the report said. On this day last year, the Manjara and Sina Kolegaon dams had no water stock, while in Nimna Terna it was 35.07 per cent, Siddheshwar 22.91 per cent and Nimn Dudhana 11.63 per cent, it said.
Recently, two gates of Beed-based Manjara dam, which is the prime source of water for Latur city, were opened and water was discharged due to heavy inflow after rains.
When contacted, Jayakwadi dam’s executive engineer Rajendra Kale told PTI that many of the reservoirs in the region are filled up to nearly full capacity.
“This year, we can expect a rise in the irrigated land area as well as revenue generated from it. Last year, we recovered Rs 27 crore as revenue, this year we can expect it to go beyond Rs 30 crore,” he said.
Aurangabad-based water conservation expert Pradeep Purandare said there could be a rise in sugarcane cultivation this year due to heavy rains.
However, due to water losses in canals, the stock discharged from dams is less likely to reach the desired land areas for irrigation, he added.