Farmers and residents from villages along the Nira river in Maharashtra’s Indapur and Malshiras talukas have announced a roadblock on November 13, demanding that authorities release water into the river and fill its downstream bandharas to address a worsening drinking-water shortage.
The protest is scheduled to begin at 9 am at Sarati on the Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Highway. Residents say the dry riverbed has left people and livestock facing a shortage of drinking water, while farmers fear that standing crops could be damaged because irrigation water is no longer available.
According to a representation submitted to the administration on November 3, the affected villages in Indapur include Kurvali, Kalamb, Nimsakhar, Khorochi, Boritwadi, Nirwangi, Chakati, Pithewadi, Neeranimgav, Bhagwatwadi, Sarati, Lumewadi, Girvi, Gondhi, Ozare and Narsinhpur. In Malshiras, residents from Kalamboli, Pangar, Palsmandal, Kadamwadi, Umbare, Tirwandi, Chakore, Kondbavi, Anandnagar, Akluj, Malinagar, Sabatgaon, Tambave, Ganeshgaon and Bijwadi have also reported water stress.
The residents’ representation said substantial water had flowed through the Nira during the monsoon, but alleged that the gates of the river’s bandharas were not installed or closed in time to retain the water. The riverbed subsequently dried after the monsoon, and the remaining storage has been depleting, according to the petitioners.
The shortage has also affected farm operations. Farmers said water supplies are insufficient for crops nearing harvest, raising concerns that produce could be lost. The immediate demand is for water to be released into the Nira and for the bandharas near the affected villages to be filled. Residents had earlier warned that they would launch an agitation if their demand was not accepted, but allege that no concrete action has followed the November 3 submission.
The representation referred to a government order dated October 5, 2026, which, according to the residents, gives the highest priority to drinking water for people and animals. Copies were submitted to the district collectors and police superintendents of Pune and Solapur, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Pune district guardian minister Sunetra Pawar, MPs Supriya Sule and Dhairyashil Patil, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane, former minister Harshvardhan Patil, the two taluka tehsildars, police inspectors and other concerned officials.
The representation carries signatures from residents of villages along the Nira. The administration’s response and any decision on releasing water before the proposed November 13 roadblock had not been stated in the report.
