The water level in 750 minor irrigation projects in Maharashtra`s Marathwada region stood at 12.92 per cent, down from 34.28 per cent at this time last year, an official said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

The irrigation department released a report on water levels in 750 projects in eight Marathwada districts of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Hingoli, Dharashiv, Latur, Beed and Parbhani as on March 22, reported PTI.

“Water storage stands at 210.91 million cubic metres (MCM), which is 12.92 per cent of capacity, in Marathwada. On March 22 last year, the water storage was 578.06 MCM, or 34.28 per cent of total capacity. The water level has come down from 34.28 per cent to 12.92 per cent, a drop of 21.36 per cent,” the report stated, reported PTI.

“The lowest is in Jalna, with just 2,40 MCM water in 57 projects, which is 1.42 per cent of storage capacity. The highest storage, at 36.09 per cent, is in 80 irrigation projects in Nanded district,” the report added, reported PTI.

District wise minor irrigation projects and their storage:

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – 13.37 per cent
Jalna – 1.42 per cent
Beed – 10:49 per cent
Latur – 11.83 per cent
Dharashiv – 9.34 per cent
Nanded – 36.09 per cent
Parbhani – 9.62 per cent
Hingoli – 21.14 per cent

Earlier this month, Water has been released from Jayakwadi dam for uninterrupted operations at the Parli thermal power station in Maharashtra`s Beed district, an official said, reported the PTI.

The power plant authorities had written to the state irrigation department stating that the operations may stop due to water shortage in the region, the official said, according to the PTI.

The irrigation department started discharging water from Jayakwadi dam, and the discharged water is stored in the Khadka barrage, from where it is lifted for power generation, he said, as per the PTI.

The discharge is at 100 cusecs now, but the flow will be increased if needed, he said.

According to the irrigation department, the water stock at Jayakwadi dam was 527 MCM till March 15, which was 24 per cent of its overall capacity.

The dam supplies water for agriculture in Jalna, Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Parbhani districts, and domestic purposes to the cities of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna, the news agency reported.

(With inputs from PTI)

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