Water extraction for farming has been restricted from the Jai Ganesh Reservoir in Pingori, Purandar taluka, after the reservoir retained 18.52 million cubic feet of water, or 94% of its storage capacity. Irrigation officials have asked farmers not to draw water from the reservoir because the available stock is being reserved for drinking-water needs amid the possibility of shortages.
The restriction was announced by Avinash Jagtap, branch officer of the Garade Irrigation Branch, according to a report by Pudhari – Pune. Jagtap appealed to farmers to cooperate with the decision and not remove water from the reservoir illegally.
The reservoir benefited from continuous rainfall in the Pingori and Kawadewadi catchments at the end of July, despite a broader delay in rainfall in Purandar taluka. The rainfall helped maintain the reservoir’s level and provided relief to villages dependent on the local water system.
The current storage has also been supported by work carried out during an earlier drought period. Villagers removed silt from the Jai Ganesh Reservoir through voluntary labour, with efforts supported by the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust, local resident Baba Shinde and the Rotary Club. Social organisations provided machinery for the desilting work.
The desilting helped revive the reservoir, according to the report, and brought thousands of acres of agricultural land in the surrounding area under irrigation. The improved storage has led to an assessment that the area may not face an immediate water shortage this year. However, irrigation officials have said that the present stock must be protected for drinking-water use rather than diverted for farming.
The water-use decision reflects the competing demands placed on small reservoirs in drought-prone parts of Maharashtra. The same storage supports agriculture when supplies are adequate, but becomes a reserve for domestic consumption when authorities anticipate scarcity. In this case, the instruction to stop agricultural extraction is linked to the government’s planning to reserve water in all dams for drinking purposes until August 31, 2027.
Jagtap said the Jai Ganesh Reservoir’s water should not be used for agriculture because it has been earmarked for drinking water. He also appealed to farmers not to lift water secretly from the reservoir. The restriction places enforcement and cooperation at the centre of managing the remaining stock, particularly as the reservoir serves both agricultural land and nearby settlements.
The next operational step is the continued protection of the 18.52 million cubic feet stored in the reservoir for drinking-water requirements. Farmers and local residents have been asked to comply with the irrigation department’s direction while the government’s drinking-water reservation plan remains in force.
