Nagpur: Even as Nagpur’s guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule called on Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan requesting him to release 5 TMC water from Chaurai dam on Pench river across the border, the neighbouring state does not seem to be willing to oblige.
Pench river flows through MP and Maharashtra. The former has built Chaurai dam on the river around two years ago, which led to a major cut in the availability of water for Maharashtra. The city depends on Totladoh and Kamptee Khairi dams built on Pench river for its drinking water needs. The paddy belt of the area too depends on the dam for irrigation.
If there is not enough water, Maharashtra will have to cut short on irrigation so that the drinking needs can be met.
A day after Bawankule met Chauhan in New Delhi, RS Julaniya, additional chief secretary, water resources department (WRD) in MP, categorically ruled out any possibility of water sharing with Maharashtra.
If MP is poll-bound this year, the area along Pench river in Maharashtra side is Bawankule’s constituency. Last year, there was an uproar by paddy growers as irrigation was not possible on account of shortage in Maharashtra side. Farmers in Nagpur and Bhandara districts faced losses due to it.
Julaniya told TOI Chaurai is not an inter-state project and has been built entirely using Madhya Pradesh’s resources only to meet the state’s needs. All the approvals required for the project have been taken from the central government and it is under no obligation to share any water with Maharashtra.
“During rains, water releases are not required. This year, Nagpur area has got good rains. Maharashtra has no share in Pench dam water. The state is free to store and use its share of water as per the inter-state meeting. We have not stored or used Maharashtra water,” he said.
Sources in Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) said there is a water sharing pact of 1964 under which MP’s share has been fixed at 35 TMC. The state is liable to let out whatever is over and above 35 TMC to Maharashtra. However, at present the storage on MP side has touched only 10 TMC due to which it is not in a position to spare any water for Maharashtra.
The accord, which was signed before the Chaurai dam was built, considered water sharing from whatever project Madhya Pradesh would build in future, the source said. On this, Julaniya said there is no such clause of sharing water over and above 35 TMC in the agreement. Bawankule did not respond to TOI’s SMS.
At present, the level in Totladoh and Kamptee Khairi dams is at around 300 million cubic metre which is barely enough to meet the city’s needs and cannot be spared for irrigation, a source said.
