Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has urged Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to implement the Par-Godavari Integrated River Linking Scheme. This initiative aims to divert excess water from the Nar-Par river basin to the deficit Godavari basin, addressing water scarcity issues in drought-prone regions.
In his letter, Bhujbal highlighted that rivers in the Nar-Par basin originate from the Sahyadri mountain range and flow westwards into the Arabian Sea. Meanwhile, the eastern parts of Nashik district, including Yeola, Nandgaon and Chandwad talukas, experience persistent drought conditions due to low rainfall. Bhujbal stressed the urgent need for sustainable measures to provide irrigation and drinking water for these areas and Marathwada.
The government had earlier formed a coordination committee, as per a government resolution dated November 11, 2000, to evaluate the feasibility of redirecting westward-flowing water to the east. According to the committee's report from September 2001, water can be diverted near the Punegaon Dam. A high-level canal with a capacity of 750 cfs. can be constructed from Punegaon to Kolahi to provide irrigation benefits to drought-affected talukas such as Dindori, Chandwad, Yeola, Vaijapur and Gangapur.
The committee also recommended that this canal meet the future non-irrigation water requirements of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city while addressing the irrigation needs of the drought-hit areas. Bhujbal has called for the immediate execution of this scheme to alleviate water scarcity and boost agricultural productivity in the region.
