Jeur’s ₹10.5 crore water supply scheme in Akkalkot taluka of Solapur district remains unusable despite the completion and testing of its pipeline, storage tanks and water purification plant, as new electricity connections for key facilities are yet to be provided during an acute water shortage.
The scheme, implemented under the Jal Jeevan Mission, was designed to supply water to Jeur village, its tandas and extended settlements. It draws water from the Bhima river near Hillli through a 19.5-kilometre pipeline. The jackwell at Hillli and the water purification centre at Jeur require new electricity connections before the system can be commissioned.
According to the report, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited has not issued a quotation for the connections, citing outstanding dues. As a result, the final stage of the project has remained pending even though the main civil and distribution works have been completed.
The completed infrastructure includes a ductile iron pipeline from the jackwell located upstream of the Hillli barrage to Jeur. Two water tanks, with capacities of 125,000 litres and 25,000 litres, have also been constructed. The water purification centre has a treatment capacity of 1.25 million litres a day, while the village distribution network has been completed by the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran. Testing of the works has already been carried out.
The MJP and Jeur gram panchayat have written to the executive engineer of MSEDCL in Solapur seeking the electricity connections. The request has not yet resulted in action, according to the report. The delay has become a concern for residents because the completed scheme cannot be put into operation while the village faces severe water scarcity.
Residents have urged MSEDCL to adopt a flexible approach on the outstanding dues and provide the connection as a special case, taking the drought-like conditions into account. They have also sought the intervention of the district collector to direct the electricity utility to resolve the matter.
Sunil Deshpande, sub-divisional engineer with the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran in Solapur, said the department had written to MSEDCL in the previous week to request that the Jeur scheme be started quickly. He said the department had sought relief on the dues during the scarcity period and asked MSEDCL to issue the quotation. Once approval is received, the remaining process will be completed and the scheme will be taken forward, he said.
The immediate milestone for the project is the issuance of the electricity quotation and completion of the connection process for the Hillli jackwell and Jeur purification centre. Until then, the water infrastructure will remain unavailable to the settlements it was intended to serve.
