Shirdi:
Nearly 150 farmers in Maharashtra on Tuesday came out on the state highway connecting Ahmednagar and Manmad in Nashik district to protest against the order of Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare to release water from the Bhandardara and Nilwande dams in Ahmednagar so that the Jayakwadi Reservoir in Aurangabad receives water.
Farmers say this will result in water shortage in northern Maharashtra especially Ahmednagar district. Mr Tatkare has also ordered that water from the Darna dam in Nashik be released to Jayakwadi Reservoir.
Earlier, water had been released from these dams after an order from the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court. At that time policemen had been deployed at Ahmednagar district to guard the water.
Earlier this year, Maharashtra faced a crippling drought but a good monsoon helped ease the situation. But residents of Ahmednagar feel that the diversion of water from this northern Maharashtra to Marathwada is unfair.