Nazre dam dry,Collector seeks immediate mitigation plans

After visiting the area,the collector on Thursday held a meeting with MJP,zilla parishad and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) officials to come out with an immediate plan to address the situation.

Preliminary discussion centred on tapping the Mandke lake in the same taluka as a temporary measure. Deputy collector M Phatak,who is looking into water scarcity situation,said several schemes were discussed.

“The officials have been asked to get a plan ready in two days as this is the first time the dam is registering zero per cent water after 2003,” said Phatak.

The existing MIDC schemes will be reconsidered and budget estimates to extend pipelines pushed urgently. District officials are planning an alternative scheme to address the situation.

The district administration has taken all the wells and borewells in the surrounding area and water is being administered through these schemes.

Baramati,Indapur,Shirur and Daund talukas are also facing deficient rainfall and struggling for water supply.

However areas around Nazre are the most affected,said Phatak.

At present 158 tankers are supplying water in various parts of the district and with some areas getting rainfall tanker demand is expected to come down,officials said.

With Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar having taken stock of the water situation in the division,the officials have been assured of more funds to address the scarcity in drought-hit talukas.

Pawar has asked the state government to submit afresh its drought mitigation proposal seeking central grants as the previous proposal lacked details on crop yield and rainfall deficiency in affected talukas.

The state government is to give the re-worked proposal by September 15. Central and western parts of the state-Sangli,Satara,Solapur,Pune,Ahmednagar and Nashik-are the most affected.