Dimbhe to Manikdoh tunnel stuck in red tape; Work stalled due to government's disinterest?

Local leaders oppose the tunnel

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Dimbhe to Manikdoh tunnel stuck in red tape; Work stalled due to government's disinterest?

Pune / Ramesh Jadhav 

The 13 km long underground tunnel between the two dams from Dimbhe to Manikdoh under the Kukdi project has stalled only because of the government's indifference. A sum of Rs 350 crore is proposed for the work of this underground tunnel. This proposal has been submitted to the State Technical Advisory Committee. But there is still reliable information that no further movement has taken place.

Meanwhile, the local leaders have opposed this tunnel so that the tunnel between Dimbhe and Manikdoh should not be built and the water of Ambegaon should not go anywhere else.

Dimbhe, Yedgaon, Pimpalgaon Joge, Vadaj Dams are included under Kukdi Project along with Manikdoh Dam. Accordingly Dimbhe dam is the biggest dam and it is located in Ambegaon taluka.The water storage capacity of this dam is 12.50 tmc while Manik Doh dam is in Junnar taluka and its water storage capacity is 10.17 tmc. In the area of Dimbhe Dam, there is always heavy rain during monsoon days. On the other hand, there is plenty of water in this dam, but there is very little rainfall in the area of Manik Doh Dam and only two times in the last 40 years, this dam was filled to its full capacity. However, only 50 to 60 percent water storage is available in this dam.

Meanwhile, since Dimbhe dam and surrounding areas receive heavy rainfall, the dam fills up to its full capacity every year. On the other hand, due to less rainfall in Manikdoh Dam area, water storage is not available in the dam at its full capacity. Keeping this matter in mind, the Water Resources Department has planned to construct an underground tunnel between Dimbhe and Manikdoh. As the water from Dimbhe Dam is taken to Manik Doh Dam through an underground tunnel, the same water will be supplied through Kukdi Left Canal for irrigation of 95 thousand hectares in Nagar, Pune, Solapur districts. Due to the ovum being in the left canal for many years, the efficiency of this canal decreased. As an alternative to this, the concept of this underground tunnel came forward and for this purpose an estimate of 350 crore rupees was prepared for this underground tunnel in 2010. Along with this, a concept estimate was also prepared for the tunnel. But due to some technical reason, this proposal got delayed and again another proposal was made in the year 2015-16 and immediately this proposal was submitted to the government along with Suprama by the Water Resources Department. It has been approved in principle at the government level. 

After receiving in-principle approval at the government level for this underground tunnel, the Water Resources Department conducted a survey and exploration of this tunnel and included it in the proposed plan of the Kukdi project. Accordingly, a provision of Rs 350 crore has been proposed for this tunnel and this proposal has been submitted to the State Technical Advisory Committee for inspection. It has been a long time but the work of this underground tunnel has not started due to the apathy of the government.

Meanwhile, Dilip Valse Patil, the People's Representative of Ambegaon Taluka and the Cooperation Minister in the current government, has shown strong opposition to prevent the construction of a tunnel between Dimbhe and Manikdoh dams. It is being said that Walse Patal has split from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar Group) to avoid this tunnel. It is being said that Valse Patals have taken this political stance in order not to do injustice to the farmers here by not allowing the water of Ambegaon-Junnar to go elsewhere. Therefore, everyone's eyes are fixed on whether the underground tunnel that will be built between Dimbhe and Manikdoh dams.

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