India News | Maha: Capacity of Jayakwadi Dam's Left Canal Has Halved, Needs Rs 3,000 Cr for Repairs, Says Official
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The water-carrying capacity of the left canal of Maharashtra's Jayakwadi dam has nearly halved, shrinking the land under irrigation in the Marathwada region, and will need about Rs 3,000 crore for a major overhaul, said an official on Wednesday.
Aurangabad Feb 8 (PTI) The water-carrying capacity of the left canal of Maharashtra's Jayakwadi dam has nearly halved, shrinking the land under irrigation in the Marathwada region, and will need about Rs 3,000 crore for a major overhaul, said an official on Wednesday.
Jayakwadi is an earthen dam on river Godavari and is located in the Paithan tehsil of Aurangabad district. Its 208-km-long left canal reaches Jalna and Parbhani districts and is supposed to irrigate nearly 1.81 lakh hectares of land.
Also Read | Jharkhand Elephant Attack: Protests Erupt As Two Die, Three Get Injured in Elephant Attacks.
“The canal was built nearly 40 years ago and it needs maintenance. Though its water carrying capacity is 3,600 cusecs, in the present condition, the capacity has come down to 1,800-2,000 cusecs," said the top official from Command Area Development Authority, which comes under the irrigation department.
The department has engaged an agency to survey the canal and its final report is expected in April, said the official. Jayakwadi dam is considered the lifeline of the Marathwada region.
The official said there is considerable “water loss” (seepage) due to the poor structural condition of the canal. Since its base is weak, water cannot be released in full force as it may lead to a breach in the canal wall, he said.
"According to the primary report (by the agency), the canal requires nearly Rs 3,000 crore for a major overhaul. We will approach banks for funds once the report is completely ready,” said the official.
With less water flowing through the channel, the official said, the size of the land irrigated by it has come down by nearly 16 per cent, from 1.81 lakh hectares to 1.5 lakh hectares. “The time of water discharge rotation has also increased to 30 days instead of 15,” he said.
The Marathwada region also reports a large number of farmer suicides. In 2022, it saw 1,023 growers ending their lives, up from 887 in the previous year, officials had said earlier.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)