The Chandrapur district administration has ordered an immediate crackdown on unauthorised water extraction from reservoirs, rivers, lakes, dams, Kolhapur-type weirs and canals after a reported 30.43% rainfall deficit raised concerns over drinking-water availability in the coming dry months.
Collector Vasumana Pant, who also heads the District Disaster Management Authority, directed the formation of revenue circle-level flying squads to prevent indiscriminate withdrawal and protect available water stocks for essential needs. The teams have been instructed to begin field operations without delay.
The squads will carry out routine as well as surprise inspections across the district. Complaints from residents about illegal extraction will be verified at the reported locations, according to the administration’s directions. Pumps, motors, pipelines and other equipment used for unauthorised withdrawal will be inspected and seized as part of the enforcement action.
Each team will be coordinated by a section engineer from the Water Resources Department, Water Conservation Department or Zilla Parishad. A section engineer from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, a revenue circle officer and a police sub-inspector will also be included in the squad. The multi-department composition gives the teams responsibility for identifying unauthorised withdrawals, examining equipment and taking enforcement action with police and revenue support.
The administration has directed the departments concerned to deploy the teams immediately and submit reports to the Collector’s office every Monday. The reports must record the number of inspections conducted, cases of unauthorised water extraction detected and action taken against those responsible.
The enforcement drive comes as the district prepares for the dry months with concerns over the availability of water for drinking and other essential requirements. The administration has stated that protecting existing water stocks and ensuring adequate drinking water for residents will be the priority.
The order covers a wide range of water sources, including natural water bodies and irrigation-related infrastructure. This places withdrawals from rivers and lakes alongside extraction from dams, reservoirs, canals and Kolhapur weirs within the scope of the district’s inspections. The administration’s directions also provide for citizen complaints to trigger verification, creating a channel for residents to report suspected unauthorised withdrawals.
The flying squads are expected to continue inspections and submit weekly updates to the Collector’s office. The reports will provide the administration with details of enforcement activity and the action taken during the district’s preparation for the coming dry period.
