Dilip Walse Patil seeks immediate water release for Pune, Ahilyanagar as dry spell hits crops

Water scarcity is deepening in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. Rain has been absent for a long time. Small streams, drains, dams and canals have begun to dry up. The question of water for farming has become serious, and rabi season crops have begun to wilt for want of water.

Former Assembly Speaker and MLA Dilip Walse Patil has demanded that water be released immediately in rotation from the Kukadi, Hutatma Babu Genu (Dimbhe) and Chaskaman projects. This, he said, would avert crop losses and also meet the need for drinking water in villages. He has written to Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, urging an early decision.

In this year's monsoon, the rain held off after July, which upset farming plans entirely. In the kharif season, crops such as paddy and soybean were hit by the gap in rainfall. Rabi crops now face a water crisis as well. Crops that were waiting for rain have begun to dry as soil moisture runs out. In many places small streams, drains and small dams are drying up, making it difficult to get water for farming.

Farming in the eastern part of Pune district and in Ahilyanagar district depends heavily on rain and on releases from dams. With the rain failing, farmers are having to wait for irrigation water. If water does not arrive in time, there is a fear that losses to standing crops will grow. The need for drinking water in villages may also become serious later, and the demand to calculate the water available in the dams and release water is gaining strength.

The long gap in rain has raised the questions of farming and drinking water together. Farmers are watching how the available water stock will be used. If the release is delayed, losses to rabi crops could rise further. There is an expectation that a decision will be taken at once, balancing the need for water, the available stock and the demands of different areas.

Walse Patil has drawn the minister's attention to the water shortage in both districts through the letter. He has also spoken to the minister directly. He wants the water available in the Kukadi, Dimbhe and Chaskaman projects to be reviewed and planned properly, and releases to be made immediately as needed.

He has said that timely water is essential to save farmers' standing crops. If crops are ruined for lack of water, it will directly affect farmers' incomes and the village economy. He said the Water Resources Department should therefore decide in view of the seriousness of the situation. He also stressed that arrangements should be made before drinking water problems arise in villages.