The right bank canal from Maharashtra’s Dimbhe Dam has remained without water for three months even though the reservoir is 99.8% full, leaving standing crops in 45 villages and 90 hamlets across Ambegaon and Shirur talukas at risk of drying up, according to a report by Sakal – Pune.
The shortage has triggered anger among farmers, who are seeking immediate water releases for agriculture. The report also said that concerns over drinking water have begun to grow in some areas as the canal remains dry despite the reservoir holding substantial water.
The crisis is also affecting Ambegaon’s dairy economy. The taluka has more than 200 cooperative and private milk organisations, around 40 milk collection centres and 14 milk-processing units. These facilities collectively handle approximately five to six lakh litres of milk each day, according to the report.
However, the decline in green fodder availability has created difficulties for farmers maintaining thousands of crossbred cattle. Farmers are concerned about how they will continue feeding the animals, while fodder scarcity could also affect milk production. The report did not provide an estimate of the number of cattle or the potential financial loss.
Farmers have demanded that the irrigation department urgently plan a release of water into the right bank canal to protect standing crops. They have warned that any further delay could cause significant economic losses, although the report did not quantify the affected crop area or the expected losses.
The condition of the canal itself has emerged as an additional concern. Large quantities of trees, shrubs and accumulated waste have reportedly grown or collected inside the canal. Farmers fear that these obstructions could restrict the flow of water, while cracks in the canal may lead to leakage once water is released.
Nawab Inamdar, president of the Gavdewadi Vividh Karyakari Cooperative Society, has called on the irrigation department to remove the vegetation and waste before releasing water. The demand links the immediate irrigation crisis to the maintenance of the distribution network that carries reservoir water to farms.
A delegation of 30 former and serving village sarpanches from Ambegaon is also expected to meet former state home minister Dilip Walse Patil and submit a memorandum seeking water for the right bank canal. Vijayrao Gavade, former sarpanch of Adarsh village Gavdewadi, provided information about the proposed delegation, the report said.
The immediate next steps identified in the report are the delegation’s memorandum and the irrigation department’s decision on both the canal water release and removal of obstructions from the canal. No official timetable for releasing water was cited in the supplied report.
