Jalgaon: Gulabrao Patil Announces Three Drinking Water Releases, One Irrigation Release From Girna Project

In Jalgaon district, drought conditions have led to the announcement of three drinking water releases and one irrigation release from the Girna project by Guardian Minister Gulabrao Patil and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan. The water resources department has been tasked with ensuring adequate water reserves for drinking, industrial use, and farmers' crops.

A meeting of the Canal Advisory Committee, chaired by Girish Mahajan, reviewed water management for irrigation projects and discussed water reserves, drinking water requirements, industrial needs, and canal network conditions.

Gulabrao Patil emphasized the need to prevent water shortages for citizens while supporting farmers' irrigation. He stressed that drinking water must remain the top priority, but farmers' interests should not be overlooked. The minister directed officials to coordinate a plan for three non-irrigation water releases and one irrigation release, using available water reserves carefully to avoid wastage.

Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan highlighted the importance of planning for potential water shortages during the upcoming summer. He emphasized equitable distribution of water among drinking, agricultural, and industrial requirements and directed officials to identify areas with high water shortage risks and take preventive measures. Mahajan instructed officials to inspect all distributaries and sub-canals, submit repair proposals promptly, and prevent water leakage and wastage in the Girna Canal system.

Guardian Minister Gulabrao Patil also directed officials to inspect canals, repair leakages, and ensure irrigation infrastructure works are completed on time while maintaining quality standards. The District Collector and engineers were instructed to conduct regular inspections for quality control. If any delays or defects are found, responsibility must be fixed.

Meanwhile, officials reviewed the water management plan, with presentations from Santosh Bhosale, the Superintending Engineer of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA), and various MLAs, District Collector, and officials from CADA, Girna Irrigation Division, and the Irrigation Division.