Rapid Water Level Drop in Jayakwadi Amid Marathwada Heat Wave
The heat wave in Marathwada is increasing day by day, and its impact is taking its toll on the water storage of Jayakwadi Dam. With the temperature reaching 42 degrees Celsius, six times more water is evaporating from the dam than the daily water withdrawal. As a result, the water level in the dam is dropping rapidly.
Jayakwadi takes direct hit from heat
Paithan taluka has been experiencing extreme heat for the past few days. In March itself, the evaporation rate was recorded at 55.285 Dalghami. On Tuesday, this rate reached 1.988 Dalghami. Interestingly, while 0.29 Dalghami of water is being pumped out daily for drinking, the rate of evaporation is increasing six times that.
Plenty of reserves, but concerns remain
This year, Jayakwadi Dam is 100% full, with a water storage capacity of 47.39%, which is almost three times that of the previous year. While the storage capacity was only 15.20% on April 15, 2024, this year it is 47.39%. Currently, the dam has a total water storage capacity of 1767.01 Dalghmi, out of which 1028.90 Dalghmi is usable water storage.
Evaporation rate
A total of 243.73 mm of water has evaporated since July 1, 2024. In just four months from December to March, more than 130 mm of water has evaporated from the sky. The Meteorological Department has predicted a temperature of 42 to 43 degrees for the next few days, so there are signs that the rate of evaporation will increase further.
No impact on water supply, but vigilance required
Jayakwadi Dam supplies water to cities like Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Waluj, Shendra, Jalna etc. Branch Engineer Vijay Kakade has informed that there will be no reduction in irrigation and drinking water as the reserves are currently abundant. However, if the rate of evaporation continues at this rate, Marathwada may have to face water shortage once again in the coming times.
Need for solutions
Long-term solutions are needed to control the increasing evaporation in Jayakwadi. It is becoming necessary to consider options such as solar-powered floating covers, water conservation projects, and micro-irrigation for farmers.
Even though there is water in the dam, the heat waves are taking a toll on it. If this situation continues, another dark streak may appear in the drought picture of Marathwada in the future.