Marathwada dams dry up |
The stock of `live water` or `usable water` in seven key dams in the drought-struck Marathwada region of Maharashtra, including Asia`s largest earthen dam Jaikwadi in Aurangabad, has come down to zero. Live water is drawable water, while `dead stock` is water that cannot be used. It is said that last year , only one dam had reached zero level. This time, there are seven of them, so water is to be lifted from the dead stock, which will not last long. Marathwada has 11 big dams . The Jaikwadi one is the largest, with an irrigation potential of 2.37 lakh hectares and storage capacity of 2,171 million cubic litres. The other dams at zero level are Majalgaon, Manjara, Lower Terna, Manar, Siddheshwar and Sina-Kolegaon. A total of 2,378 tankers have been deployed in eight districts in the region. While 210 tankers have been deployed in Latur, the district collector there has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, banning assembly of five or more persons near the tanker-filling areas.Revenue minister Eknath Khadse said he had a marathon meeting with railway minister Suresh Prabhu on transportation of water from Pandharpur to Latur by wagons.
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