Drinking water to be priority till July 2010

MUMBAI: Maharashtra water resources minister Ajit Pawar underlined the severity of water scarcity in more than 150 tehsils of the state on Monday when he announced that providing water for drinking will be the priority for state-owned irrigation projects until July 15, 2010.

Though water for drinking has always been the priority for irrigation projects, the government���s announcement indicates that it does not expect any significant pick up in Monsoon this year.

A government resolution to this effect was issued on Monday, Mr Pawar told media persons on the sidelines of a function at which the water resources department transferred the first unit of the 125 mw of Ghatghar hydropower project to the state utility Maha Genco.

The minister said the water situation ranged from ���better to bad to worse��� in different parts of the state. ���Marathwada is the worst-hit, followed by Khandesh-North Maharashtra. Situation is below average in Nagpur and Amravati divisions, but better in Pune,��� Mr Pawar said.

Average availability of water in irrigation projects in the state was 46% of the installed capacity, Mr Pawar said. On August 17 last year, it was 58%.

The situation would have been worse if not for the water levels in a few major dams, he said. Three of the state���s biggest dams, Koyna, Jayakwadi, and Ujni, were holding water up to 88%, 13% and 33% of their capacity, respectively. On the corresponding date in 2008, Koyna held 94% of its capacity and Ujni 82%.

Another 125 mw unit of the Ghatghar hydropower project will be transferred for operation and maintenance to Maha Genco by December this year.