Uran to face 3-day water cut as Ransai Dam water stock depletes

Uran faces a worsening water shortage as the Ransai dam nears depletion, affecting residents and industries. Authorities plan to extend water cuts to last till June.

URAN: Uran, grappling with a two-day water cut, now braces for a three-day water shortage as the Ransai dam, its vital water source, nears depletion.

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With the present dam level reported to be adequate only for supply till May 15, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) water supply department authorities are planning to extend the water cut by a day to help the supply last till June. The water shortage for Uran residents is worsening this summer. Even after the Ransai Dam catchment area receiving substantial rainfall last year, resulting in the dam overflowing in July, the subsequent monsoon was inadequate.

Now there is pressure due to the expected evaporation of water in summer and the increased demand for water in the region due to several mega projects, industrialisation, and urbanisation.

The Ransai dam, which services 21-gram panchayats in Uran taluka, along with naval, municipal, ONGC, and industrial areas, faces a critical situation. The dam, originally designed with a capacity of 10 million cubic metres, now holds less than 7 million cubic metres due to silt accumulation over 45 years, leading to a diminished water-holding capacity. Presently, with a mere 2 million cubic metres of water remaining and the water level at a 97 feet, the supply is forecasted to last only until May 15.

With the supply from Ransai dwindling, MIDC is struggling to provide sufficient water to Uran, especially since there is no additional supply from Hetawane. This shortage has led to the gram panchayats in Uran being the first to experience water cuts when the water stock in the Ransai dam runs low.

Vithal Pachpund, the deputy engineer at MIDC, highlighted, “The escalating urbanisation and industrialisation in the area have added pressure to the water supply. As a measure to address the shortage, a two-day water cut has been implemented in the region.”

He added, “To ensure that we can supply water to the region till the monsoon arrives in June, there is a need to conserve water further. While a two-day water cut is already in place, we may have to increase it by a day soon.”

“We appeal to the residents to conserve water and make optimum use of what is available so that we can extend the supply as much as possible, ”concluded Pachpund.

According to local activist Dashrath Mhatre, the dam constructed in 1970 covers a 6.8 sq km area amidst the Ransai mountain in Uran. Highlighting the dwindling water stock in the dam, Mhatre suggests solutions like cleaning the silt within the dam or raising the height of the dam’s wall. He revealed that a proposal for increasing the dam’s height had been drafted and submitted to the head office by local officials several years ago, but it remains pending action.