Ajit Pawar’s cousin got 200 cr unviable project

Nagpur: Former irrigation minister and NCP top leader Ajit Pawar not only created conflict of interest by going ahead with approving a fresh cost estimate for the Aashti lift irrigation scheme (LIS) after his cousin Jagdish Kadam wrote a letter to him, but he also ignored reports that the project was not viable. The 200 crore project in Beed district was awarded despite Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT) not issuing the mandatory clearance and water resources department (WRD) seeking to scale down the project.
Due to these reasons, the special investigative team (SIT) — led by Madhavrao Chitale — had termed it as flawed. The SIT had recommended an independent assessment and action against the concerned officials.
The capacity of Ashti LIS in Beed district and two more LIS in Osmanabad district, all part of Krishna Marathwada project, is 23.66 thousand million cubic feet (TMC). However, this capacity cannot be realized due to restrictions on the state on the use of Krishna river water. The total capacity of the three LIS can only be of 7 TMC.
VV Gaikwad, the secretary of water resources department, in a letter dated July 7, 2009, had pointed out this fact to executive director of Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC), the project planning agency. He had told GMIDC to divide the project into two parts — one for 7 TMC capacity and the second stage for 16.66 TMC capacity. The second phase was subject to KWDT clearance. However, Gaikwad’s directives were ignored and GMIDC went ahead with the project plan for 23.66 TMC capacity. Pawar, as the then chairman of GMIDC, approved the Ashti LIS and ensured that Kadam’s firm Raj Promoters and Civil Engineers got the contract on August 25, 2009.
South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), a social organization, has been opposing the Ashti LIS tooth and nail but has not achieved any success so far. The BJP-led governments in both state and Centre are not axing the project despite of the damning facts.SANDRP had written to Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), urging it not to clear the project in view of these facts. However, the ministry issued the environmental clearance. SANDRP had also pleaded with Vijay Shivtare, minister of state for WRD, to the scrap the project but its plea fell on deaf ears.
Parineeta Dandekar of SANDRP told TOI, “Water for Ashti LIS is supposed to come from Ujani Dam over Bhima River about 100 kms away, in as many of six stages of water lifts involving pumping water to higher elevation in each stage. Ujani dam itself faces water shortage and the high court in 2013 had ordered release of water from upstream dams for Ujani. There is no spare or reliable water in Ujani. This is not surprising looking at over 1,50,000 hectares of sugarcane plantation irrigated by the dam. Eleven LIS are functioning or are under construction for further use Ujani dam water, even as main canals of the dam are not complete even after 34 years after dam construction. Though we have repeatedly sought the water balance of Ujani, it has not been made public. Ashti is not the only LIS dependent on Ujani water. There are two more LIS in Osmanabad, which don’t have a reliable source of water.”
Irrigation minister Girish Mahajan, however, has a different take. According to him, the project is a must for Marathwada region. “The area receives less rainfall and frequently suffers from drought. If we don’t supply Krishna water to Beed and Osmanabad we won’t be able to meet even the drinking water needs of the two districts,” he told TOI.
BOX
Water Politics
* Ajit Pawar’s cousin Jagdish Kadam got the 200cr Ashti LIS on August 25, 2009
* The project did not have the mandatory clearance from Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal (KWDT)
* WRD secretary had suggested scaling down of the project on July 7, 2009
* Later, the SIT — led by Madhav Chitale — had termed the project as unviable and recommended action against officials
* The present BJP government has refused to axe the project