Wardha facing worst water crisis in decades, no supply cuts for industries

WARDHA: While the district grapples with worst water woes it had ever seen in decades, industries in the area do not seem to be affected by the scarcity.

The low water supply has caused a major chaos among the people with the city getting water supply once a week, while 11 villages on the outskirts are getting water once in four days.

Water supply to the city and 11 gram panchayats is managed from Dham river, which in turn gets its supply from Mahakali dam. The 11 gram panchayats get water from Yelakeli while Wardha city gets water mostly from Paonar. In the absence of adequate storage facility with the civic body, the city is facing acute water shortage.

Many citizens claimed that even as the city is facing severe water scarcity , industrial area nearby Wardha is getting 24-hour water. Irrigation officials refuted the claims of citizens saying companies have their own reservoir . However, fact remains that these companies get water from Paonar river, which is also a source for the city.

Wardha collector Vivek Bhimanwar said, “There is a reserve for industries and we are providing water as per norms. No water cut is taking place in the industrial area. The administration is working on a long term plan to provide treated sewage water to industries.”

“Last year, only 60% rainfall occurred in the district causing scarcity in several parts, but mostly in the city. However, we are taking several measures to get through the rough patch. We are also providing water through tankers in villages where it is needed,” added the collector.

Storage in Mahakali dam on Dham river has already reached a critical level. On Tuesday, water level was at 6.25 million cubic meter and the irrigation department has decided to provide 2 million cubic meter water after every 20 days. Of the supply, around 50% water is lost while the reserves at Paonar get only 1 million cubic meter water. In view of this, Mahakali dam will be able to supply water for 60 days only.

Out of 1,387 villages in the district, 602 are on the verge of facing drought. Meanwhile, two talukas — Ashti and Karanja — have already been declared scarcity affected and the government has released Rs2.05 crore for crisis management. Of the Rs2.05 crore funds, Rs1.26 crore have been used by the administration to pay electricity bills of around 321 village or gram panchayats.

A source attached to zilla parishad rural water supply department said, “Paying electricity bills mostly solved the problem of water scarcity in these villages as now they can use motor pumps to fetch water.” However, several villages depend on groundwater which has also gone down in several areas.

Sudhir Deshmukh, a banker, said, “I have not seen such water scarcity in the city in last 20 years. At most, we used to get water once in two to three days during peak summer, but this year it is getting very hard as water is being supplied once a week.”

Talking to TOI, another citizen Rajita Meghe, social activist, said, “We have a well at our house but it has almost dried up. As water is being supplied once a week only, we have to store it in tanks which we were forced to buy. In 2008 too, the well had dried even when water supply was regular.”

Sources from water supply and sanitation department claimed that a few citizens using motor pumps by attaching them to taps to draw more water is resulting in very less supply to other households.