'Bushy' canals ignored for 4 years

AURANGABAD: With the Jayakwadi dam showing 63% live stock, parched areas downstream can finally expect some relief, but not in such gushing and plentiful quantities.
Water experts and activists in the region have alleged that canals in downstream areas are in a wild state of disrepair, which could cause considerable transmission losses. Many expressed fears that up to 50% of the water could be lost in transit.
Farmer activist Jayaji Suryawanshi rued, "The canal systems, its drains and sub-drains look like forest patches.The walls of many canals are badly damaged. The drains and sub-drains have been completely neglected. It is unlikely that the water being released from Jayakwadi dam will reach the end point in the desired amount."
He blames it on a "deep nexus" between a section of irrigation department officials and contractors who have been awarded work of doing proper maintenance of the canals. "It is not the case that money is not being released every year for taking proper care of canals, but the funds sanctioned are usurped by vested interests. All maintenance work, including removal of weeds, bushes and small trees take place on paper only. Such wrongdoings year after year have been deteriorating the canal systems."he said.
Suryawanshi, who claimed to have recently toured parts of Aurangabad and Beed districts to monitor condition of canal systems, said these gateways for water have damaged beyond recognition in many areas.
Besides the fact that water for irrigation needs was not released from Jayakwadi four years ago, the canal systems always are in urgent need of maintenance, it has been alleged.
Shankar Nagare, an expert member of the Marathwada Development Board, said, "Lack of maintenance of canal systems will be a hindrance in the flow of water. The existing speed with which water is being released into Jayakwadi dam seems to be slow, and it may be because of the fact that canal systems were not used in the past four years. The standard practice is of using minimum time to send maximum water. It cannot be followed if maintenance is poor. Besides, escalation in transmission losses, poor maintenance could also cause leakages and even busting of canals if water is release at high speed."
The canal advisory committee for Jayakwadi project, in its meeting held in the presence of state water resources minister Girish Mahajan on August 30, had resolved to release water for drinking needs, irrigation purpose and for Parli thermal power plant. Following the crucial meet, the right bank canal system of Jayakwadi major irrigation project began releasing water at a speed of 200 cusec for Majalgaon dam since September 2.
A day later, the left bank canal system of Jayakwadi dam began release of water for Thermal Power Plant at Parli with a speed of 300 Cusec on September 3. The water for irrigation purposes, which is scheduled to be released from Jayakwadi after a gap of four years owing to lesser availability of stock in recent past, is not yet released due to somewhat revived monsoon conditions that rendered benefits for kharif crops. While 4.5 TMC water is to be released for Majalgaon major irrigation project, a substantial amount is being also discharged for Parli plant. Besides, Jayakwadi could also witness release of another 4 TMC in different barrages in downstream areas and a total of 15 TMC for crops.
When contacted, S P Bhargodeo, executive engineer with irrigation department, said growth of weeds and bushes in canals was a common phenomenon during monsoon and they are removed after the rainy season. He also accepted said that work of internal cleaning and banking could not take place in some areas. "The desired work could not take place as the required machinery was used for water conservation programmes under the Jalyukta Shivar," he said.
Bhargodeo refuted accusations of only on-paper maintenance work.