Under the Jal Jeevan Mission of the Central Government, the Rural Water Supply Department of the Zila Parishad and the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran have approved water supply schemes worth ₹1,410 crores. However, these departments did not complete the plans on time. Also, due to only 70 percent rainfall in the district this year, an unprecedented drought situation has arisen. As a result, more than seven lakh, i.e., 20 percent of the residents in hundreds of villages and settlements in the district have to supply water through tankers, and for this, the government has spent ₹63 crore so far. On the one hand, since the water sources of the water schemes of these departments have dried up, it is time to supply water by tankers there as well.
The central government has created the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme with the slogan of providing clean water to every household through taps. In that, the work of regional water supply schemes is with the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP), while the responsibility of setting up water supply schemes for individual villages is with the Rural Water Supply Department of the Zila Parishad.
1,222 schemes worth 1,410 crores have been approved by the Rural Water Supply Department of Nashik Zila Parishad, out of which 681 schemes have been physically completed.
The work of 38 regional water supply schemes is also underway by the MJP in the district, and although the work of most of the schemes has been completed more than 60 percent, the work of not a single scheme has been completed yet. Both these agencies were directed to complete the water supply schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission by March 31, 2024. However, not all the plans were completed within this period.
Scanty rainfall adds to woes
In addition, in the last monsoon, Nashik district received only 70 percent of the average rainfall, which has created an unprecedented drought situation in the rain shadow talukas. Due to this, the residents of this area are being supplied with drinking water through tankers. The population of the rural areas of the district is 35 lakhs, out of which 7 lakhs, i.e., 20 percent of the population, are being supplied with water through tankers. In this, well acquisition and tanker transport costs are being incurred on a large scale to fill water in tankers. ₹63 crore have been spent for the acquisition of these tankers and well since last July. Out of which, payments of ₹8 lakh have been given to the tanker drivers and the district administration has demanded from the state government for the payments of ₹55 crores.
361 villages and 936 settlements will be supplied with water through tankers in Nashik district this week. For this, 14 government and 376 private tankers are being used and 871 rounds of tankers are being made for this water supply. There are only two suppliers for supplying water through tankers in the district for the last eight-ten years and those suppliers are supplying water through tankers in the eastern part of the district. Water is being supplied through tankers in Igatpuri, Trimbakeshwar, Peth, Surgana, Dindori, Kalwan taluks, which received more rain this year.
Taluka-wise Cost of Water Supply Through Tankers:
- Nashik: ₹10.80 lakhs
- Chandwad: ₹4.10 crores
- Nandgaon: ₹32.19 crores
- Baghlan: ₹3.28 crores
- Devla: ₹13.88 crores
- Malegaon: ₹4.48 crores
- Yewla: ₹4.53 crores
- Sinner: ₹1.30 crores
- Total: ₹62.89 crores
