Mulshi farmers have reported losses of up to 80% in paddy cultivation after rainfall weakened in September and October, prompting local MLA Shankar Mandekar to seek compensation and raise the issue during the winter legislative session.
Speaking at a press conference in Kolwan on Monday, Mandekar said Mulshi had been excluded from the list of drought-affected talukas because rainfall in July and August had exceeded the average. He said the subsequent lack of rain in September and October had caused paddy crops to dry up.
According to the report, the government conducted crop-loss assessments, known locally as panchnamas, in the taluka during the previous week. Mandekar said he would follow up with the administration for compensation for affected farmers and would raise the matter in the winter session if necessary.
The dispute also brings Mulshi’s water allocation into focus. Mandekar said water from the Mulshi reservoir should first be reserved for drinking water and agriculture in Mulshi before any surplus is transferred elsewhere. He said he would oppose diversion of water from the reservoir if local requirements were not prioritised.
The demands cited at the press conference include reserving 1.2 TMC of Mulshi reservoir water for drinking water and farming. Another demand concerns the 8% dead storage in the Tata reservoir, which local representatives want to be made available in the future for Pune, Daund and Baramati. The report said approval for that demand had not yet been granted.
Mandekar also said Mulshi should receive a reserved allocation before approval of the broader water-quota distribution. He said that, when water rotations are released, drinking-water and agricultural requirements should be addressed first.
The issue highlights the administrative gap between rainfall-based drought classification and crop-level distress. While Mandekar attributed Mulshi’s exclusion from the drought list to the prescribed criteria and above-average monsoon rainfall in July and August, he said the later dry period had still damaged standing paddy crops. The extent of compensation will depend on the completed assessments and the government’s response.
The press conference also covered local infrastructure demands, including compensation-linked development work for farmers in the eastern belt, the proposed opening of one carriageway of the Bhugaon bypass within a month, road widening near Ghotawade Phata, Tamini tunnel and Paud, and improvements at major junctions. Mandekar said the Pirangut Ghat road could be transferred to the National Highways Authority of India in January, allowing the issue of a flyover to be raised for reducing accidents.
Other works mentioned included a bridge-cum-barrage at Walen and a small bridge at Hotle. The next stated steps are follow-up on the crop assessments, pursuit of compensation and presentation of the water-allocation and crop-loss issues during the winter legislative session.
Source - https://urbanacres.in
