With main dam running dry, water is supplied to the town once a month, is likely to stretch to 60 days.
Since January 10, the taps are running dry. For 22 days, people kept waiting for water supply to get restored. On February 2, residents got water once again. Now, they have been assured that they will get water on March 10.This is the story of Manmad.
The Waghdardi dam that provides water to Manmad has gone dry. A very scanty monsoon resulted in only 296 mm of rain throughout the season. This filled the 110-MCFT capacity dam only 5%. The available water stock of about 6-7 MCFT feet lasted only for 15-20 days for a population of around 1.1 lakh people. From an initial wait of 15 days for water to pour into their taps, residents are now waiting for monthly water supply, which is likely to stretch to 60 days.
As an alternative arrangement, people have dug bores in the ground and are lifting water from borewells. There are about 320 borewells in Manmad out of which 270 are in working condition. The municipal council has asked the residents to seek prior permission to dig a borewell. However, as the patience of the residents has been stretched beyond limits, those who can afford are seen digging wells.
However, there is no respite as even after digging deep, there is no sign of water. In the recent times, bores have been dug as deep as 200-250 ft, a clear signal of the lowering of the water table.
The only source of water presently is water tankers. The government has provided 20 tankers which makes about 3-4 rounds each day. However, it cannot meet the needs of a city which is also a railway junction. The second alternative is to buy water from private tankers. The cost of a 500-1,000-litre tanker is between Rs600 and Rs800. About 250 such private tankers are catering to the water needs.
Due to the current situation, life in Manmad has been severely affected. All construction work has been stopped leading to a chain of no-work for many. Immigration to nearby towns like Niphad, Yeola, Sinnar and Nashik has increased. The labour force of the city that thrives on trade has reduced.
Businesses has slowed down tremendously. Marriages and functions are planned on the availability of water. One such family was forced to postpone the engagement ceremony of their son due to lack of water.
The scene in every house of this city is the same. There are at least two plastic tanks for water storage — one outside and the other inside. Besides, all small to big vessels, pots, tins, cans, utensils, buckets, tubs, etc., are used to store water. People have staged demonstrations and taken out morchas demanding water but all in vain.
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