File photo of a dried up Bhatsa dam in Thane district

NASHIK: Five medium-sized dams of the total 24 medium and large dams in Nashik district have gone dry. The water in two others of medium category, and one from the major dam category is about to touch the ‘zero’ mark.

Maharashtra water resources department shared water levels in dams across Nashik district, which clearly show levels of water in dams at zero. This sparked caution about the use of water – not just currently, under drought conditions, but also in future.

Medium dams that have gone dry include Punegaon, Bhavli, Bhojapur, Nagasakhya and Manikpunj.

The dams whose water storage is in single digits now are Tisgaon with 4 million cubic feet (mcft) and Kelzar, which has only 2 mcft of water left. Even among major dams, storage in Kadva Dam was just 8 mcft.

Though usage of water for agriculture had been curtailed this year, water levels are depleting rapidly, giving rise to concern about the manner in which water will be required for the rising population and agriculture needs of the future.

The district in all has 24 medium and large dams, with capacity of 65,814 mcft of water, feeding a population of over 60 lakh.

The water levels which were about 85 per cent (or 55,941 mcft) of the total capacity on October 15, 2018, now stand at 7,445 mcft.

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