Aurangabad, June 14:
The district collector Sunil Chavan and the MP Imtiaz Jaleel today inspected the giant size water tank situated on the campus of Masjid-e-Kalan in Shahgunj, in the evening.
Till a few decades ago, the tank would use to get filled with water up to its brim through water received from an aqueduct (Naher). However, over the time, the Naher got damaged and the water got diverted to myriad places. As a result, the tank got dried up and it no longer receives water in it. Presently, the ground surface of the tank is utilised by around 3,000 devotees to pray special prayers in the evening during the holy month of Ramzan. The mosque is 400 years old and it is listed as one of the protected monuments in the city by the state archaeology, it is learnt.
The additional commissioner of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) B B Nemane was also present during the inspection.
The visit aimed at exploring the utilisation of the tank by storing water in it and quenching the thirst of people staying in areas situated around the mosque. It is assessed that around 10 MLD of water could be stored in the tank, but the administration would have to work out in detail.
When contacted the MP said, “I had drawn the attention of the district and the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administration to utilise the available sources to store water till the elevated storage reservoirs (ESRs) are built under the new water supply scheme in the city. Storing water is a major problem. Hence, one of my recommendations was the giant size water tank in the above mosque at Shahgunj. If the water is stored in it. The tank can quench the thirst of at least 5-10 surrounding areas. The collector assured of calling a meeting with the MJP officials in this regard, soon.”