Nashik/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Three days of continuous rainfall in Nashik district, especially in the catchment areas, have led to release of water from the dams into the Godavari river by the water resources department(WRD).The dams situated in Trimbakeshwar and Igatpuri talukas of the district are continuously releasing water into Godavari and Gangapur rivers. While 4,544 cusec of water was being discharged from the Gangapur dam that is around 97% full, water being released from the Darna dam is also above 2,500 cusec. The water from these dams flows into Godavari that further flows into catchment area of Jayakwadi dam in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after the Nandurmadhmeshwar weir, the officer said. From Nashik district alone 1.5 TMC of water had flown down into the Jayakwadi dam in the past three days. So far, during this monsoon, a total of 11.6 TMC of water has flowed towards Jayakwadi..The WRD officials hope for better rains in the last period of the rainy season so that there is enough water in the dams and the ground also gets recharged due to good showers. As of now the drinking water needs of Nashik has been fulfilled and the agricultural needs (for rabi crops) will barely be managed as the ground water recharge could be seriously lacking this time given the weak rains. Unless storage in the Jayakwadi dam crosses over 65% by the end of monsoon (September 30) — as per norms of the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) — water will have to be released from the dams in Ahmednagar and Nashik district. We are hoping that the there is good rainfall in the free catchment areas of Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar so that the situation is avoided, the official said. Meanwhile, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the Jayakwadi major irrigation project on Sunday evening was receiving inflow at a speed of 19,000 cusec.Nearly 22 mm of rain in its catchment area coupled with the release of water from upstream areas have resulted in increased inflow into the dam. Jayakwadi dam, on Sunday evening, showed marginally improved live storage of 37%.Nathsagar, the dam reservoir, has received nearly 1.7 TMC water in the past 24 hours — between Saturday and Sunday morning. Majority of the dams located in upstream areas of Jayakwadi are almost filled and releasing excess water. The revived rainfall conditions together with the release of water from upstream areas have resulted in increased inflows towards Nathsagar, an official from the Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation (GMIDC) said.81 tankers pressed into service in Nashik district The district administration has currently deployed 81 tankers in rural areas for supplying drinking water. There are 220 villages and hamlets that are being provided drinking water across the seven talukas.Whatever rains have fallen they are yet to recharge the wells. Hence, the demand for tanker is still continuing despite it being the fag-end of monsoon season, a senior official from the district administration said.

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