AURANGABAD: Ten of the 11 major irrigation projects, including Jayakwadi dam, in the Marathwada region have over 75% live storage ahead of the coming summer.
The storage was sufficient and would do away with the need of water tankers in most areas of the region, which in past had witnessed an extensive use of such alternative arrangements, an official said.
While the major dams have sufficient storage, 57 of the 75 medium dams in Marathwada and 261 of the 749 minor dams also hold over 75% storage, data available with Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) revealed.
GMIDC authorities said the different reservoirs from the region were having sufficient water to cater to different needs, including drinking and agriculture.
“Barring some isolated remote pockets, we do not foresee any scarcity of drinking water in Marathwada. Among other requirements, crops are slated to get water not only for the ongoing rabi season but also during the hot days during the summer season,” a senior GMIDC official said.
Among the major dams, Jayakwadi, which supplies water to Aurangabad and other parts of the region, had 85% live storage. Majalgaon (84%) and Manjra (93%), which supply water to the drought-prone Beed district, and Lower Dudhna (90%) and Sina Kolegaon (95%), which cater to Osmanabad district, also had substantial storage.
Jaisingh Hire, assistant engineer with the Command Area Development Authority of GMIDC, said the drinking water needs of Marathwada at large would suffice till July 31 considering the existing storage in the dams.
