Water release from Ujani for irrigation to be stopped

Kolhapur: The Canal Advisory Committee of Solapur has decided to shut the water release from Ujani dam for irrigation to ensure that water stock is available for use till the end of Aug. District guardian minister Jaykumar Gore chaired the meeting of the advisory committee on Sunday.Solapur district depends on Ujani dam, which is located along the borders of Solapur and Pune districts. The dam has a total water stock of 77.64 a thousand million cubic fee (TMC) and the usable water stock is 14 TMC."The India Meterological Department (IMD) has predicted adverse monsoon this time due to El Nino. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed to ensure the water stock is used till the end of Aug. Therefore, we have decided to stick to one rotation in summer months instead of two," said Gore.State govt has asked irrigation authorities to ensure water availability for drinking purpose till Aug-end."The first rotation usually starts in Jan. During each rotation, water from the dams is released into Bhima rivet and the canals for a fortnight. Farmers have their fields irrigated and they have available water stock in wells and farm ponds. The two rotations are planned on peak summer months of April and May. The second rotation will start soon, "said Gore."We are going to monitor the situation of the water stock and weather forecast. Depending on the situation, we will take call whether to take second summer rotation or not," said Gore.