Latest news with #PaniParishad
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Gosikhurd water reached farms, but high fluoride content a concern: Farmers
1 2 Nagpur: Lahu Ghuguskar, Ramesh Yelne, Rajararam Jhaware and other farmers, who head different water users cooperatives in Bhandara district, are happy to finally get water from the Gosikhurd dam in recent years. However, there is also a concern — they say the water has high fluoride content. Their farmlands come under Ambhora, Nerla and Tekepar lift irrigation schemes (LIS) of the Gosikhurd project. If irrigation helped them go for a summer crop too, the dam water also comes with the fluoride hazards, said the farmers who had gathered at the Pani Parishad conference under way in the city on Sunday. "We have been getting water since 2018. It has helped cultivate a second round of paddy crop. However, the water is full of fluoride, and the fields turn white due to the residue," said Yelne, whose cooperative draws water from Nerla LIS. Farmers have to form registered users cooperatives to draw water from an irrigation project. "The water needs to be filtered before it reaches the farmers," said Yelne. Ghuguskar, from Jai Kisan Water Users Society under the Ambhora LIS, says that because of the fluoride content, no other crop can be taken up. "Paddy is rugged, but even its yield has come down. I could not cultivate chili due to the fluoride issue," he said. "The water is not fit for cattle. It also leads to kidney ailments among humans," said one of them. "Even the farmhands who enter the fields that turn white face skin issues," said Anil Talmale of Jai Hanuman Water Users Cooperative. The water from Nag Nadi and Kanhan at Nagpur merges into the Wainganga river, on which the Gosikhurd dam is built. "There has to be filtering at the stage where Kanhan merges into Wainganga so that the fluoride levels can be controlled," said the farmers. "I am not sure if it's fluoride or not. We started getting the Gosikhurd water only two years ago, but it certainly leaves a white cover on the fields," said a farmer from a water users cooperative from the area under Tekepar LIS. Pravin Mahajan, an independent water expert, said measures are needed to prevent sewage water from Nagpur flowing into the Wainganga. "This would help in saving the Gosikhurd dam too," he said.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
90% Water Conservation Structures Non-Functional: Bawankule
1 2 3 Nagpur: Nearly 90% of water conservation structures in Nagpur and Amravati districts are non-functional, and restoring them is critical to address the deepening water crisis, said revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Speaking at the Vidarbha Pani Parishad, Bawankule stressed the need for the immediate revival of thousands of dead water bodies and emphasised a strategic shift towards water recycling and zero discharge. "There are 6,500 structures in Amravati and 3,500 in Nagpur, but most are not live. They have no proper plugs, water leaks from the sides, and they have not been maintained," he said. A plan is being rolled out to geo-tag each structure and allocate Rs2-4 lakh per bund for repairs, along with 500-metre deepening wherever needed. Bawankule highlighted the alarming drop in groundwater levels — down to 800–850 feet in parts of Katol and Amravati — as a wake-up call. Misuse of power and water was also called out. "We're giving 12 hours of electricity but there's no water planning. One pump is sanctioned, but ten are being used. If we don't plan both power and water together, we'll hit 1,200 feet," he warned. He also referred to the redirection of Pench water that was earlier wasted. That supply is now routed to Mahagnco, freeing it up for agricultural use, while the Koradi power plant has transitioned to using treated wastewater supplied by NMC. "This is a working example of zero discharge — there is no option but to move forward with recycling," he said. The comments came during the three-day Vidarbha Water Conference held at Vanamati Hall in collaboration with RTM Nagpur University's NSS Department and Jankalyankari Samiti. Bawankule urged NSS volunteers to identify and help revive dead dams in their regions, calling it a crucial step towards sustainable water management. A series of success stories were presented at the conference, including solar-powered irrigation from Muradpur, the Tamaswada water management model by Purti Jal Sinchchan Sanstha, and Shramdaan-led village transformation efforts in Washim. The event also featured case studies on artificial drainage for salt land improvement and the Sangli River Revitalisation Project. "Water conservation is not just policy — it's participation. From recycling sewage to reviving old dams, every step matters," Bawankule said, reiterating that making Nagpur and Amravati model districts is the goal.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Poor irrigation infra worries award winning farmer
Nagpur: At the Pani Parishad, a conference on water conservation, Buldhana's Rajendra Gadekar proudly shows his picture receiving the Rashtriya Jal Puraskar from President Draupadi Murmu. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Gadekar, who hails from Mehkar taluka in the drought-prone Buldhana district, received the award for covering an optimum area with limited water. However, he says everything is not well, and the govt needs to change its approach towards building irrigation projects. The farmers in his area get water from the Pentakli dam on the river Painganga. The dam can irrigate more than 10,000 hectares of land, he says. However, an unrepaired canal has prevented irrigation in over 4,500 hectares of land so far. It took years of correspondence to finally start the work in 2025, when the funds were released. Now, it is up to the contractor to finish it at the earliest, he TOI. Gadekar had come to attend the Pani Parishad conference in the city on Sunday. Water from the Pentakli dam is supplied through two methods — Kolhapur Type Weirs built in a chain sequence, and through a 38km canal. The canal's section from 1 to 11kms needs repairs. The defective canal was leading to water flowing into the nearby fields. This led to major resentment, and locals had tried to prevent the release of water in the canal, he said. "Now, as the funds have been released, the canal is expected to be repaired soon. However, it's time that the water resources department (WRD) adopts innovative approaches to solve problems," he says.
