Baramati farmers have sought urgent changes to water releases from the Nira Left Bank Canal, warning that standing crops, livestock water access and sugarcane crushing targets could be affected by the current allocation plan. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar has assured them that a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and other officials will be held in Mumbai to review the situation.
Farmers from Baramati raised the issue with Pawar at Malegaon after expressing concern that water being released to fill Shetphal lake in Indapur taluka was affecting the share available to Baramati through the Nira Left Bank Canal. The farmers said the region was facing drought-like conditions, with crops already showing signs of water stress and standing sugarcane at risk of drying up.
Pawar said she would obtain a detailed assessment of the current water rotation before holding the meeting with the concerned ministers. She also assured the farmers that Baramati would not face injustice in water distribution.
The delegation included farmers Ranjit Dhumal, Ramesh Devkate, Baburao Chavan, Nitin Atale and Indrasen Sorte. They demanded that water from the Nira Left Bank Canal be distributed equitably, that barrages on the Nira river be filled and that standing crops receive water without delay.
Farmers said the Nira river barrages were dry and that the shortage could create difficulties in securing drinking water for livestock. They objected to water being released for Shetphal lake while crops in Baramati were under stress, arguing that the lake-filling process should begin only after additional water became available in the reservoirs.
The dispute also has implications for the local sugar economy. Baburao Chavan said Malegaon Sugar Factory was receiving a reduced area of sugarcane for crushing. He warned that if water was not properly planned during the drought-like conditions, farmers could seek to bring standing sugarcane to the factory for crushing. He said proper Nira Left Bank Canal water distribution was necessary for the factory to meet its target of crushing 1.3 million tonnes of sugarcane and to secure gate-cane supplies.
Ramesh Devkate also criticised the decision to fill Shetphal lake under the current conditions and repeated the demand that water planning should protect Baramati’s allocation. The farmers said the irrigation issue was directly linked to their annual income, crop survival and the functioning of the cooperative sugar sector.
The next step is the proposed Mumbai meeting, where the current water rotation and the competing demands on the canal system are expected to be reviewed. Farmers are awaiting a decision on the allocation plan and clarity on when water will reach fields and river barrages in Baramati.
