Urban areas need to look for alternate sources of drinking water
Observing that reservation of water for drinking purposes in urban areas was affecting the agricultural potential of the areas under Nashik and Ahmednagar districts, the superintendent engineer of the Nashik's Command Areas Development Authority, water resource department, M K Pokale said that time has come to maintain the sanctity of irrigation dams. In a conversation with Abhilash Botekar, he suggested that the local authorities should look for alternative sources of water for urban areas. Excerpts:
When dams have been built for storing water for the public, why is there a hue and cry over drinking water?
It is a common belief that the dams are constructed for storing water for drinking purposes for urban areas. But that is not the case. Dams were constructed for increasing the irrigational capacity in the country at a time when the cities actually flourished on the banks of rivers. All the 23 medium and big dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts are for irrigation purposes, with Bhandaradara, Darna and Nilwande dams built for rain-shadow regions of Ahmednagar districts, and the remaining for Nashik. Considering today's demand for drinking water in urban areas, most of which is turned into polluted water unfit to be re-used for agriculture purpose, it is a tremendous loss to the establishment of the irrigation dams.
Are there dams reserved exclusively for drinking water?
No. The priority has always been to create dams for irrigation purpose. The water released during rotation was used to fill up minor irrigation tanks, wells and ponds on the way and the same water was drawn for drinking purpose as well. However, because of urbanisation, there istremendous load on water reservation for drinking. While we have some dams exclusively reserved for Mumbai's drinking water purpose, there are no such dams in Nashik, Ahmednagar or even in Auranagabad. The dams are heavily dependent on rainfall. Kikvi dam is the only dam that was being proposed to be reserved only for non-irrigational purposes, but the lack of funds has stalled the project. While compensation for the land and construction has been worked out, unless more funds are released, the work is not going to move ahead.
How much water is reserved for drinking purpose?
It should be kept in mind that 615 million cubic feet (mcft) of water from the Gangapur complex - Gangapur, Gautami Godavari and Kashyapi rivers - is reserved for drinking purpose for theNashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and surrounding areas. On an average, the drinking water quota consumes nearly 35% of the installed capacity of the dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts and since this water is drawn from the irrigation quota, water reserved under irrigation is shrinking.
Is this affecting the agricultural productivity of the region?
Yes. Obviously, increase in reservation for non-irrigational purpose is reducing the water for irrigation, which in turn, is affecting the agricultural productivity of the region. Though there are instances where more land is being brought under irrigation, it is not directly under irrigation facilities but by way of drawing water from wells or underground - which is again limited because of the depleting underground water level.
Why does Nashik have too many dams?
Nashik has the maximum number of dams in the state - minor, medium and large. They have been constructed to tap water in every possible area, which is helping the water distribution system in the region, allowing irrigation and drinking water to the areas in the three districts - Nashik and Ahmednagar on priority and Aurangabad to some extent. Both Nashik and Ahmednagar districts under the CADA are water-stressed and depend heavily on rainfall. The region gets average monsoon rainfall between 400mm and 6,000mm. Nine out of 15 talukas of Nashik district and all the 14 talukas of Ahmednagar (which has vast area)are drought-prone. Besides, these areas have witnessed the maximum urbanisation and hence the water needs exceed far more than that in other areas.
Where does the region draw water from?
The Nashik region draws water from four basins - Krishna, Godavari, Tapi and the west-flowing rivers. As much as 50% of the Nashik district (15,530 sq km) gets water from the Godavari basin while the Tapi basin fulfills the water requirement of 36% of the district and the remaining 14% of water comes from the west-flowing rivers, including Daman Ganga and Par. Similarly, Ahmednagar district (17,034 sq km) gets 64% of water from the Godavari river and 36% from the Krishna river.
What are the major challenges in providing water to farmers during off season?
The major challenge is water thefts. There are numerous farmers who have laid pipelines clandestinely over several kilometres that source water from the bed of the canals. This is not a new phenomenon, but the amount of water stolen during the last year's (March 2013) rotation from Palkhed complex, comprising three major dams, only brought to the fore the magnanimity of the theft. This forced the water resource department (WRD) to carryout a special exercise of plucking out pipelines installed in the bed of the canals. Nearly 1,000 such illegal connections were plucked out. This menace is unique only to Nashik district; in Ahmednagar, there are very few such incidents.
What are the measures to tackle water theft?
Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive master plan to curb theft during rotation. We can only create awareness about water conservation, using traditional methods of irrigation and water measurements, among other things. In order to curb the nuisance, the department has decided to set up strict vigilance on the division basis and to install water meters to know the exact amount of water supplied, among other measures.
What are the measures to improve water usage among farmers?
The water users' associations - groups of farmers - take over the operations and maintenance of the water distribution system from the WRD. It is the best and most democratic manner in which water can be managed efficiently. We are trying to bring in more number of farmers along the canals into this group to help maintain and minimize losses. These activities have also helped farmers opt for drips and sprinklers for irrigation purpose that further reduce water intake as well as lower the usage of fertilizers and pesticides. It is a win-win situation for farmers.
How is the issue of water audit being taken up?
With the equitable water distribution under the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, Nashik and Ahmednagar regions are under tremendous pressure to release water for Jayakwadi dam, which is very big. This means that it will further affect the water stored in the dams upstream of the Godavari and as such, the urban areas lying upstream are going to be affected whenever such situations arise. Though there are a number of public interests litigations admitted in various high courts and the Supreme Court, it is time that water conservation tops priority in every area - rural or urban, agricultural or non-agricultural. This has further laid stress on recycling of water for all purposes, which has to be taken up by the respective agencies
Source - TOI - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Urban-areas-need-to-look-for-alternate-sources-of-drinking-water/articleshow/27098549.cms
When dams have been built for storing water for the public, why is there a hue and cry over drinking water?
It is a common belief that the dams are constructed for storing water for drinking purposes for urban areas. But that is not the case. Dams were constructed for increasing the irrigational capacity in the country at a time when the cities actually flourished on the banks of rivers. All the 23 medium and big dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts are for irrigation purposes, with Bhandaradara, Darna and Nilwande dams built for rain-shadow regions of Ahmednagar districts, and the remaining for Nashik. Considering today's demand for drinking water in urban areas, most of which is turned into polluted water unfit to be re-used for agriculture purpose, it is a tremendous loss to the establishment of the irrigation dams.
Are there dams reserved exclusively for drinking water?
No. The priority has always been to create dams for irrigation purpose. The water released during rotation was used to fill up minor irrigation tanks, wells and ponds on the way and the same water was drawn for drinking purpose as well. However, because of urbanisation, there istremendous load on water reservation for drinking. While we have some dams exclusively reserved for Mumbai's drinking water purpose, there are no such dams in Nashik, Ahmednagar or even in Auranagabad. The dams are heavily dependent on rainfall. Kikvi dam is the only dam that was being proposed to be reserved only for non-irrigational purposes, but the lack of funds has stalled the project. While compensation for the land and construction has been worked out, unless more funds are released, the work is not going to move ahead.
How much water is reserved for drinking purpose?
It should be kept in mind that 615 million cubic feet (mcft) of water from the Gangapur complex - Gangapur, Gautami Godavari and Kashyapi rivers - is reserved for drinking purpose for theNashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and surrounding areas. On an average, the drinking water quota consumes nearly 35% of the installed capacity of the dams in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts and since this water is drawn from the irrigation quota, water reserved under irrigation is shrinking.
Is this affecting the agricultural productivity of the region?
Yes. Obviously, increase in reservation for non-irrigational purpose is reducing the water for irrigation, which in turn, is affecting the agricultural productivity of the region. Though there are instances where more land is being brought under irrigation, it is not directly under irrigation facilities but by way of drawing water from wells or underground - which is again limited because of the depleting underground water level.
Why does Nashik have too many dams?
Nashik has the maximum number of dams in the state - minor, medium and large. They have been constructed to tap water in every possible area, which is helping the water distribution system in the region, allowing irrigation and drinking water to the areas in the three districts - Nashik and Ahmednagar on priority and Aurangabad to some extent. Both Nashik and Ahmednagar districts under the CADA are water-stressed and depend heavily on rainfall. The region gets average monsoon rainfall between 400mm and 6,000mm. Nine out of 15 talukas of Nashik district and all the 14 talukas of Ahmednagar (which has vast area)are drought-prone. Besides, these areas have witnessed the maximum urbanisation and hence the water needs exceed far more than that in other areas.
Where does the region draw water from?
The Nashik region draws water from four basins - Krishna, Godavari, Tapi and the west-flowing rivers. As much as 50% of the Nashik district (15,530 sq km) gets water from the Godavari basin while the Tapi basin fulfills the water requirement of 36% of the district and the remaining 14% of water comes from the west-flowing rivers, including Daman Ganga and Par. Similarly, Ahmednagar district (17,034 sq km) gets 64% of water from the Godavari river and 36% from the Krishna river.
What are the major challenges in providing water to farmers during off season?
The major challenge is water thefts. There are numerous farmers who have laid pipelines clandestinely over several kilometres that source water from the bed of the canals. This is not a new phenomenon, but the amount of water stolen during the last year's (March 2013) rotation from Palkhed complex, comprising three major dams, only brought to the fore the magnanimity of the theft. This forced the water resource department (WRD) to carryout a special exercise of plucking out pipelines installed in the bed of the canals. Nearly 1,000 such illegal connections were plucked out. This menace is unique only to Nashik district; in Ahmednagar, there are very few such incidents.
What are the measures to tackle water theft?
Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive master plan to curb theft during rotation. We can only create awareness about water conservation, using traditional methods of irrigation and water measurements, among other things. In order to curb the nuisance, the department has decided to set up strict vigilance on the division basis and to install water meters to know the exact amount of water supplied, among other measures.
What are the measures to improve water usage among farmers?
The water users' associations - groups of farmers - take over the operations and maintenance of the water distribution system from the WRD. It is the best and most democratic manner in which water can be managed efficiently. We are trying to bring in more number of farmers along the canals into this group to help maintain and minimize losses. These activities have also helped farmers opt for drips and sprinklers for irrigation purpose that further reduce water intake as well as lower the usage of fertilizers and pesticides. It is a win-win situation for farmers.
How is the issue of water audit being taken up?
With the equitable water distribution under the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, Nashik and Ahmednagar regions are under tremendous pressure to release water for Jayakwadi dam, which is very big. This means that it will further affect the water stored in the dams upstream of the Godavari and as such, the urban areas lying upstream are going to be affected whenever such situations arise. Though there are a number of public interests litigations admitted in various high courts and the Supreme Court, it is time that water conservation tops priority in every area - rural or urban, agricultural or non-agricultural. This has further laid stress on recycling of water for all purposes, which has to be taken up by the respective agencies
Source - TOI - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/Urban-areas-need-to-look-for-alternate-sources-of-drinking-water/articleshow/27098549.cms