The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s plans to avail 865 million litres daily (MLD) water from the Pinjal dam project may end up as just a pipedream if locals in Wada and Jawhar taluka in the neighbouring Thane district continue their fierce opposition to the project. Even before it could take off, the ambitious Pinjal dam project by the MMRDA and the BMC has run into trouble, as locals are demanding 50 per cent water for their irrigation work.
In an attempt to cater to Mumbai’s growing water demand, the state government early this year gave permission to the BMC to construct a dam on Pinjal river at Khindse village in Jawhar taluka. With a catchment area of 316 sq km, the `8,000-crore project will supply 865 MLD water to Mumbai. The dam would also store the additional 909 MLD water from the future Damanganga project.
On this backdrop, the Pinjal project, to be completed by the year 2021, has assumed much greater significance for the BMC. However, going by the opposition from the locals, it may drag well beyond the deadline. Residents from Jawhar and Wada talukas have demanded 50 per cent water from the dam for the irrigation schemes in their region. Otherwise the project will not be allowed to take off, they have threatened.
Kunbi Sena leader Praful Patil said, “Pinjal project was initially planned for irrigation projects only. However, now it has come to light that no water will be given for irrigation. There is not a single irrigation project in Wada taluka. We have pinned our hopes on Pinjal dam for water.”
The catchment area of Pinjal dam includes seven villages — Khindse, Aine, Manmohadi in Jawhar taluka and Akhada, Ujjeni, Virhe and Wadavali in Wada. In addition to this, six padas like Hedavali, Darvyanpada, Wadapada, Bhagatpada, Malapada and Phulincha pada would also go under water.
There is another fear amongst the locals about their rehabilitation prospects. Wada taluka chief Govind Patil said, “People here are mainly adivasis, who will be sacrificing their lands for the project. They should be rehabilitated in the Thane district only. However, we have learnt that the government is planning to shift them to the far-flung Dhule district.”
RPI youth leader Ram Jadhav has alleged that the state government and BMC are misleading locals about this project. “Despite making several correspondence with these officials, we have not been given any idea about their rehabilitation of locals would be carried out,” he said.
With the locals firm on their stand of not allowing the project till their demands are met, the future of Pinjal dam looks uncertain. A senior civic official said, “Pinjal is a multipurpose project, whose water will be used both for drinking and industrial reasons. We have been asked to give 50 MLD water for the irrigational purpose.”