Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (File Photo: PTI) Image Credit source: File Photo : PTI
The story of a dam in Maharashtra begins in 1970, which is now going to reach the climax in 2023, that is, a story of 53 years. Yes, one such dam is going to open on Wednesday in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, which was approved 53 years ago. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis are going to inaugurate it tomorrow.
In the year 1970, this project was approved as Mahaladevi. Nine years later, in 1979, this dam was relocated to Neelwande. At the time of approval, its estimated cost was estimated at Rs 7.9 crore. Now that it has been completed in 2023, Rs 5177 crore has been spent on it.
Capacity of Neelwande dam reduced
Neelwande Dam is built on Parvar River in Akole Taluka of Ahmednagar. Its capacity was fixed at 11 TMC in 1970, which has now come down to 8.52 TMC. This dam aims to remove water shortage in a part of Sinnar in Nashik and 6 talukas of Ahmednagar. Actually the construction work of the dam was completed in 2014, but it took more time to prepare the network of canals connected to it.
68000 hectares of land will be irrigated
A total of 182 kilometer canal network has been prepared on the right and left side of this dam. In this, a canal of 85 km has been made on the left side. While the work of 97 km canal on the right side has been completed only half.
With this, 68,000 hectares of land will get the benefit of irrigation. Simultaneously, 125 villages of Akole, Sangamner, Rahuri, Shrirampur, Kopragaon and Rahata talukas in Ahmednagar and Sinnar taluka of Nashik will get drinking water.
