The Shirsai Lift Irrigation Scheme’s rabi water rotation began on Thursday, with 160 million cubic feet of water scheduled to be released over 15 days to drought-affected parts of Baramati taluka in Pune district, according to deputy engineer Kiran Tupe.
Water lifting started with five pumps, while the sixth pump was scheduled to be switched on on Thursday evening. The water will be released into the scheme’s command area through canals, with the authorities advising farmers to use the available supply carefully.
The rotation follows a prolonged water shortage in Baramati’s rain-dependent areas. The region received very little rainfall this year, resulting in the loss of the kharif season and preventing farmers from completing rabi sowing, according to the report. With rainfall inadequate, farmers had been relying on wells for livestock fodder and sugarcane cultivation.
However, the water levels in wells and borewells have fallen sharply. This has increased pressure not only on agricultural activity but also on drinking-water availability in the affected areas. Farmers in the scheme’s command area had therefore been demanding that the rabi rotation be started.
The demand was recently raised through a rotational hunger strike by farmers at Undawadi Supe. A delegation representing the command area met Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and received an assurance that the demands would be considered. The start of the rotation has provided immediate relief to farmers facing water stress.
The planned release is expected to reach percolation tanks, earthen drainage channels and cement check dams in the area. According to the report, these storage structures could help raise groundwater levels and support the recharge of wells and borewells. The expected benefit, however, will depend on how the released water is distributed and retained across the command area.
Farmers in Undawadi Supe, Karkhel, Sonawadi Supe, Jalgaon Supe, Anjangaon, Jaradwadi, Undawadi Kadepathar, Gojubavi, Barhanpur, Sablewadi, Gadikhel and Shirsufal are expected to benefit from the rotation. The release is particularly significant for villages where limited rainfall has affected both crop production and fodder availability.
The water is expected to provide support to fodder and sugarcane crops during the current dry conditions. The authorities’ stated timeline is to release the full 160 million cubic feet through the canal system within the next 15 days, while farmers have been asked to follow a careful-use approach during the rotation.
