In his letter, Kapil Patil mentioned that the drought in the state was man-made and not an outcome of a natural calamity. (Source: File Photo)AN INDEPENDENT member of the state legislative council has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding that the state government should strictly enforce a ban on the misuse of dam water by individuals and private companies to tackle water scarcity in drought-hit Maharashtra.
Kapil Patil, who is also the leader of Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), wrote to the CM on Tuesday. In his letter, he also mentioned that the drought in the state was man made and not an outcome of a natural calamity.
“At a time when the state is reeling from a severe drought, the government should ban individuals and private companies from lifting water from dams to generate hydroelectricity,” read his letter.
Patil further noted that the drought at present was worse than the one in 1972. He asked, through his letter, how will people get water even though the government was making provisions of food grain and employment in drought-hit villages.
“Almost 67.5 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) and 42.5 TMC of water is diverted or lifted by two power companies. This water is from the upper Krishna and upper Bhima river basin. To take this water for hydro power is unfair on drought-hit villages. The water resources department has decided to reduce the water allocation in phases. But nothing has been done,” he wrote, recalling an order where the
Bombay High Court told the government to initiate steps in this matter on a 2016 writ petition filed by a water management expert.
