Water storage in Vidarbha dams lower this year

Only 29 per cent of the total stored capacity remains in major Irrigation Projects of Nagpur division. Last year the available storage in the first week of April was 38 per cent. In Amravati division 45 per cent water remains in major projects. Last year the figure was 50 per cent, sources in Water Resources Department said.

The total capacity of 14 major projects is 2,455 million cubic meters (mm cube) out of which only 700 mm cube is available now. In Bor (Wardha) the availability is 10 per cent, Navegaon-Khairi (Nagpur) - 78 per cent, Sirpur (Gondia) - 18 per cent, Dina (Gadchiroli) - 18 per cent. The Naand dam (Nagpur) has completely dried. In medium-sized projects of Nagpur Division only 19 per cent water is left. In 13 projects of Nagpur District only 18 per cent water remains, four projects of Bhandara - 12 per cent, nine projects of Gondia - 14 per cent, eight projects of Chandrapur - 19 per cent and 5 projects of Wardha - 35 per cent. The current storage in minor irrigation projects of the division is 13 per cent. The total capacity of seven major projects in Amravati Division is 1107 mm cube out of which 500 mm cube is available. In Upper Wardha project (Amravati) 45 per cent water is available, Poos Project (Yavatmal) - 45 per cent, Arunawati project (Yavatmal) - 54 per cent, Vaan (Akola) - 32 per cent. In medium projects of Amravati division only 44 per cent water is available. In three medium projects of Amravati District the current storage is 71 per cent, six projects of Yavatmal District - 39 per cent, three projects of Akola - 33 per cent, Washim - 35 per cent and Buldhana - 7 per cent. ‘City not to face water shortage’ The current storage in Navegaon-Khairi dam (Nagpur), which supplies drinking water to Nagpur city, is 78 per cent. Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) sources claimed that there will be no problem of raw water this summer. Nagpur City has a reservation of total 190 mm cube water in Totladoh dam. The city needs 1.42 mm cube water per day. The storage in the Navegaon-Khairi is 141 mm cube, which is sufficient to meet the water needs of the city this summer.

Source: hitavadaonline.com