MUMBAI: Nature seems to be playing strange games in Nashik district of Maharashtra, where all major dams are full and their discharge is causing floods in the Godavari basin, yet more than 3 lakh people in over 400 villages in the district are dependent on tankers for water to quench their thirst.
The Godavari river was flooded for the first time this monsoon on August 4. The floods receded only after a week, on August 11, when the discharge from Gangapur dam on the river came down to a few hundred cusecs from tens of thousands of cusecs for the most part of the week.
The Tryambakeshwar and Igatpuri blocks of the district had experienced heavy rains over the past two weeks, which filled the Kashyapai, Gautami and Alandi, along with Gangapur dam, almost to the brim. However, while the western part of the district is experiencing floods, the eastern part is still waiting for adequate rains.
The residents of Manmad town get piped water only once in 12 to 14 days. “It has just drizzled and not really rained this year. This has led to drying up of water sources for the city. We have been trying hard to manage the demand-supply balance. However, we would be left with no option but to impose more cuts if it doesn’t rain,” said Manmad mayor Padmavati Dhatrak.
According to officials, though the district has received more than 80 per cent of its annual rainfall, the water crisis in over 400 villages persists. As many as 119 water tankers are being used to deal with the situation. A population of about 3.09 lakh is relying on tankers to get drinking water.
The maximum number of such villages, 130, is in Nandgaon block, while Yeola block tops in the number of tankers, with 36 of them deployed.
Balgan block has the maximum number of people, 83,000, dependent on tankers for water in the district. Deola, Sinnar and Chandwad blocks have six tankers each providing drinking water to 31, 74 and 23 villages, respectively.
119 tankers in use
A population of about 3.09 lakh in over 400 villages is relying on tankers to get drinking water. As many as 119 tankers are being used to deal with the situation.