Aurangabad, Feb 16:
The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) lifts 150 MLD of water from Nathsagar or Jayakwadi Dam. However, the Department of Irrigation (Jayakwadi section) has threatened of reducing the water supply from the next week, if the AMC
fails to pay water dues to the tune of Rs 26.32 crore on priority. The office claimed that it is pursuing to recover the dues for the last one and a half years, but was in vain. As a result, the DoI'e executive engineer has released the water cut schedule (in phases) to be implemented from February 21.
The AMC has signed an agreement with the Department of Water Resources (DoWR) regarding the lifting of water from Nathsagar in November 2015. The agreement got matured in October 31, 2021. The civic administration has neither renewed it nor paid the dues till December 2021. The DoI (Jayakwadi) has served five notices to the AMC in the past one and a half years, but the civic body has not replied to a single notice.
The executive engineer (DoI) Prashant Jadhav said," The annual water tax charges is Rs 3 crore, but the AMC deposits a token of Rs 30 to 40 lakh with DoWR, while the remaining Rs 2.60 crore is deposited as an outstanding every year. The dues got multiplied and now we have demanded to pay Rs 26.32 crore."
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Water Reduction Schedule (from 12 noon)
Feb 21 - Two hours
Feb 22 - Four hours
Feb 23 - Six hours
Feb 24 - Eight hours
Feb 25 - Lifting will be totally stopped.