Kailas Patil warns of street agitation as Marathwada irrigation works stall

Dharashiv: The Krishna Marathwada irrigation project has been described as a lifeline for the drought-hit people of Marathwada. MLA Kailas Patil said the project is stuck because of a shortage of government funds and administrative indifference. According to him, work on the Neera-Bhima link tunnel and the Jeur tunnel has been shut for several months despite crores of rupees having been spent, while work on the Mirgavhan pump house is moving very slowly.

Patil called this double standards on the part of the government. He alleged that the people of Marathwada are promised water on one hand, while the works that would bring them their rightful water are kept at a standstill on the other. Launching a sharp attack on the state government, he said, "Give us our rightful water, or we will take to the streets and fight a fierce struggle."

On Friday, November 13, Patil inspected the Neera-Bhima link tunnel, the Jeur tunnel and the Mirgavhan pump house on the spot, along with Makarand Raje Nimbalkar, joint contact chief of the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party. He laid out the reality of the works and expressed strong displeasure at the government's way of working.

All three works must be completed to deliver seven TMC of Krishna valley water to Dharashiv and Beed districts. Under the plan, seven TMC of water from the Uddhat dam on the Neera river is to be brought to the Ujani reservoir. Of this, 5.32 TMC is to be carried through the Jeur tunnel to the Mirgavhan pump house. From there, 3.08 TMC is to go to the Sina-Kolegaon reservoir and 2.24 TMC is to be released into the Sina river. With key works on the chain stalled, the question of Marathwada's rightful water has been raised again.

The Neera-Bhima link tunnel is 23.68 km long, of which 20.99 km has been completed. The remaining 2.69 km has been halted since June 2023 for lack of financial planning. Even with about 89 per cent of the work done, money is not available for the rest and the whole project is stuck. Even if work began today, it is likely to take at least one to two years to complete.

The Jeur tunnel is 26.85 km long, and 23.97 km has been excavated so far. The remaining 2.88 km includes 2.71 km of excavation between Dahigaon and Jeur. The intake structure at Dahigaon is also incomplete. Work on this tunnel has been halted since July 27, 2024, so the entire arrangement for carrying the water is stuck.

Expenditure of Rs 111.58 crore is expected on the Mirgavhan pump house. Seven pumps of 13,580 horsepower capacity are planned there. Only 60 per cent of the work has been completed so far, with 40 per cent remaining. With the tunnel works shut and the pump house moving slowly, the very purpose of the irrigation project has been stalled.

Patil said that without the Neera-Bhima tunnel being completed, water will not reach Ujani, and without the Jeur tunnel and Mirgavhan pump house being completed, it will not reach Sina-Kolegaon. In his words, announcing water for Marathwada on one hand while keeping the actual work shut on the other is infuriating. He alleged that by holding up key works on a single chain, the government is obstructing the rightful water of the people of Marathwada.

Patil demanded that the government make firm financial provisions to start these works immediately and complete them. He said the people of Marathwada need real water, not promises. He warned that if this was not done, a fierce agitation would be launched on the streets with the people.

Makarand Raje Nimbalkar, Shivaji Dada Sarde, zilla parishad member Satpute, Praveen Kokate, Ravi Waghmare, Pankaj Patil, Saudagar Jagtap, Rana Bansode, Rahul Patil, Shaukat Shaikh, Sunil Garad, Dayanand Thorat, Rakesh Suryavanshi, Amol Mule, Manoj Padwal, Arjun Patil, Abhiraj Kadam, Raj Jadhav and Ashok Salunke were present on the inspection visit. Water Resources Department executive engineers Naik and Ghanwat also accompanied them.