The Yeola water supply scheme has received a ₹160 crore investment under the AMRUT 2.0 mission, with a new storage tank, treatment plant, pressure pipeline and distribution network planned to address the town’s intermittent water supply and meet projected demand until 2056.
Maharashtra food, civil supplies and consumer protection minister Chhagan Bhujbal laid the foundation for the scheme in Yeola, Nashik district. The project is intended to reduce the current gap between water supplies, under which residents receive water once every three to five days, according to Bhujbal.
“The water supply scheme has been planned keeping in mind the projected population of Yeola city until the year 2056,” Bhujbal said. He added that the town’s expansion and growing population had made the existing water supply inadequate, and that the interval between supplies would be reduced after the new system is commissioned.
The scheme will draw water from the Godavari Left Canal. A 300-million-litre reinforced cement concrete storage tank will be constructed at Yesgaon in Kopargaon block. From there, a 12.82-km pressure pipeline will connect the source to Yeola.
The planned treatment plant will have a daily capacity of 70 lakh litres. The project also includes a 97.16-km distribution network and elevated storage reservoirs on Tehsil Road, Vinchur Road and Badapur Road. The infrastructure is planned to operate using solar energy, according to the report.
The project’s stated horizon of 2056 places it among the longer-term urban water supply investments being planned for towns facing population growth and uneven water availability. Its immediate purpose, however, is to improve the reliability of supply for residents who currently depend on water delivered at multi-day intervals.
The announcement came as Bhujbal chaired a review meeting at his Yeola contact office on drought conditions and development works in the constituency. He directed officials to prioritise drinking water, foodgrain distribution and livestock fodder management during the drought situation.
Officials were also asked to survey wells and borewells for possible acquisition, assess tanker requirements and plan water supply accordingly. Bhujbal directed authorities to promote fodder crop cultivation and examine the possibility of growing fodder in forest areas where water is available.
The review covered water supply schemes serving Yeola and 38 villages, Rajapur and 40 villages, Dhulgaon and 16 villages, and Vinchur-Lasalgaon and 16 villages. Bhujbal also instructed officials to complete pending retrofitting work under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The meeting included directions to Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd officials to repair damaged transformers in Yeola and Niphad blocks. MLA Pankaj Bhujbal and former MP Samir Bhujbal were present during the foundation-laying and review activities. The next implementation milestones are the construction of the storage and treatment infrastructure, completion of the pipeline and distribution network, and commissioning of the new supply system.
