Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar is eyeing water from Tata Power’s Mulshi reservoir for quenching thirst of people in Pawar’s home turf in Pune district and adjoining region. “While contemplating on the current drought situation in the state I came up with an idea that the state can compensate a hydro power company for their losses and water from their reservoir can be used for drinking purpose,” Ajit Pawar said here on Thursday. “Water from Tata’s Mulshi reservoir can be diverted to Ujani dam. I am planning to write to the Chief Minister in this regard soon,” he added.
Diverting the water from Mulshi to Ujani covers most of the Pune and Solapur districts, which happens to be the stronghold of the NCP. Water from Mulshi reservoir near Lonavala in Pune district is used for power generation at the Bhira hydroelectric power plant operated by Tata Power Company Ltd. The company also maintains the reservoir, on the Mula River, which has water holding capacity of 19.87 TMC. “Tata Power Company generates about 325MW of electricity by using the water from Mulshi reservoir. Most of it is used in Mumbai. The government can make arrangements wherein the same amount of electricity can be fetched from the central grid and the company can be compensated for using their water for drinking purpose,” Pawar said.
According to the reports of the water resources department, Mulshi is the only reservoir in the Mula-Mutha sub basin that has received good rains this season and where the current water level stands at around 72%. Other two reservoirs from the basin where the water level is adequate, the Pawna and the Panshet, supply water to Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune cities respectively. Rest four reservoirs currently hold an average 45% of their capacity.
Politically the Krishna basin in western Maharashtra has been a Congress stronghold traditionally and is also the most developed and most irrigated regions of the state.
Diverting water from Mulshi to Ujani would benefit Purandar, Baramati and parts of Solapur district the most. This belt also has vast sugarcane cultivation and the Solapur district alone houses 28 sugar mills, the largest in a single district. Political observers say that apart from catering to the interests of socio-political base of the party – the farmers – this suggestion by Ajit Pawar appears to be aimed more at keeping the interests of the sugar lobby than the common man of the region.
