Dams and irrigation projects of Maharashtra

On 12 July 1961, the newly built Panshet dam above Pune gave way after heavy rain. The flood that followed swept through the old city, destroying homes and changing Pune forever. The disaster was a reminder that dams are not just engineering achievements — they are part of the lives, economy and risks of the people below them.

Maharashtra has more large dams than any other Indian state, according to the Central Water Commission's national register. Yet the share of its cropped area that is irrigated remains low compared with states such as Punjab or Uttar Pradesh. Understanding both facts is key to MPSC questions on irrigation.

Major dams by river

Dams that supply the cities

Mumbai

Mumbai draws its water from several lakes and dams, most of them in Thane, Palghar and Nashik districts:

• Upper Vaitarna, Middle Vaitarna, Modak Sagar (Lower Vaitarna) — on the Vaitarna;
• Tansa;
• Bhatsa — the largest single source;
• Vihar and Tulsi — within Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

Pune

• Khadakwasla (on the Mutha), with Panshet, Varasgaon and Temghar upstream.

Hydroelectric projects

• Koyna — the largest hydroelectric project in Maharashtra.
• Tata hydro stations at Khopoli, Bhivpuri and Bhira — among the earliest hydroelectric projects in India, built to supply Bombay's mills and trams in the early twentieth century.
• Smaller projects at other dams.

Institutions

Irrigation development corporations

In the 1990s, Maharashtra set up regional corporations to raise funds and speed up irrigation projects:

Regulation

• Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) — sets water tariffs and allocations.
• Water Users' Associations — under the Maharashtra Management of Irrigation Systems by Farmers Act, 2005, farmers manage distribution at the local level.

Lift irrigation

Where canals cannot reach uplands, water is lifted from rivers or reservoirs by pumping. Large lift irrigation schemes in the drought-prone south-east of western Maharashtra include:

• Tembhu, Takari and Mhaisal (Sangli district), drawing water from the Krishna.

Lift schemes are expensive to run because of electricity costs, which affects their sustainability.

River linking and inter-basin transfer

Proposals to move water from surplus to deficit basins include:

• Wainganga–Nalganga link — to take Wainganga water to the dry western Vidarbha region;
• Damanganga–Pinjal link — to augment Mumbai's water supply;
• Nar–Par–Girna — to divert west-flowing water to Khandesh;
• diversion of Konkan west-flowing water eastward to Marathwada;
• the proposed Marathwada water grid.

Such projects raise questions of cost, displacement, ecology and inter-state agreements.

Why irrigation coverage remains low

In 2012, a state white paper on irrigation and later the Chitale committee (a special investigation team) examined irrigation spending and project delays. The controversy raised questions about planning, accountability and the gap between spending and outcomes.

Dams and displacement

Large dams have displaced many communities, especially in the Sahyadri and in tribal areas. The Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1999 governs rehabilitation. Earlier struggles, such as the Mulshi Satyagraha (1920s) led by Senapati Bapat against the Tata dam at Mulshi, are among the first anti-dam movements in India.

Dam safety

The Panshet disaster (1961) and the Tiware dam breach in Ratnagiri (2019) highlight the importance of dam safety. The Dam Safety Act, 2021 created a national framework for surveillance, inspection and maintenance of specified dams.

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. On which river is the Jayakwadi dam, and what is its reservoir called?
2. Which dam is a joint project of Maharashtra and Goa?
3. Which project on the Wainganga has been declared a national project?
4. Which dam burst flooded Pune in 1961?
5. Name two lift irrigation schemes in Sangli district.

Mains-style:

• "Maharashtra has many dams but little irrigation." Examine the reasons and suggest remedies.
• Discuss the social and environmental costs of large dams, with examples from Maharashtra.