Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : The municipal corporation has begun extracting over 5 million liters per day (MLD) of water from Harsul Lake, alleviating the severe water shortage for more than 1 lakh residents of the old city. This follows the installation of a 25 HP pump on Thursday, which now enables the daily supply of water despite the lake being nearly dried up, with only two to two and a half feet of water remaining in the lake.
The city's water crisis has intensified, with residents in every colony crying out for relief. Last week, authorities halted the pumping of water from Harsul lake, citing low water levels as the reason. However, it was noted that ample water remained accessible, and installing a separate pump could facilitate continued water extraction. After public pressure, questioning why generators were not used to address the electricity supply issue, the municipal corporation promptly installed the 25 HP pump and resumed pumping. This move has made more than 5 MLD of water available daily, which is now being distributed to 14 wards in the old city.
In contrast, the municipal corporation did not utilize the usual water supply from the MIDC administration this year, which typically provides 2-3 MLD daily for tanker distribution. Officials explained that the yellow coloration of MIDC water made it unsuitable for consumption. Consequently, tankers are now being filled from reservoirs in Cidco N-5 and N-7 to serve the Gunthewari area. Meanwhile, the water situation in Cidco-Hudco areas remains critical.