Mumbai: With the drought situation in Maharashtra worsening day by day and the storage in dams hitting a low, the state government is mulling bringing in a law making it mandatory for industries to use recycled water.
As part of steps to mitigate the crisis, state Industries Minister Subhash Desai has also instructed the Maha-rashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC) to study the feasibility of raising the height of dams, desilting and deepening of lakes.
A 20 per cent water cut for breweries and 10 per cent reduction in supply for other units had already been clamped in the parched Aurangabad district in Marathwada region, which has a string of water intensive sugar mills and distillaries.
“We are mulling initiating long-term measures like increasing the height of MIDC dams and making recycled water mandatory for industries by amending the MIDC Act, 1961,” Desai said.
“The industry department will also take up a project to raise height of dams and deepen lakes and canals to preserve drinking water,” he said.
On the acute water crisis in the state, especially in Marathwada, he said there are 62 cooperative and private sugar mills in the parched region and also many liquor distilleries in Aurangabad district. “There are more sugar mills and distilleries in Marathwada that guzzle up water in a region which is known to face acute water scarcity.
Gujarat: Only 21.74 per cent water left
The Gujarat government has said all 203 small, medium and large dams in the state, including the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river, are now having 3503.87 million cubic meters of water in them, which is just 21.74 per cent of their actual storage capacity.
Looking at the acute water crisis prevalent in various parts of the state due to deficient rainfall last year, the Gujarat government has announced to keep water in 56 dams reserved for providing drinking water to people. Till now, the state government has declared 994 villages of parched Saurashtra and Kutch region as 'partially scarcity- hit'.
