If audited by water utility organizations, only they will get returns at the local level….* Dr. Sanjay Belsare*

        On behalf of Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority, Mumbai Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation, Sambhajinagar and Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute, Nashik, a one-day workshop was recently organized for water consumption organizations in North Maharashtra at Maharashtra Engineering Prabodhini, Nashik. .Sanjay Belsare. Director General of Mary Mandade, Executive Director of Godavari Marathwada Irrigation Development Corporation Tirmanwar, Member, Eco of Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority Smt. Shwetali Thackeray, and Chief Engineer Devgade, Misal were present as chief guests. The guests inaugurated the workshop by lighting the lamp. 

While making a brief introduction about how and why water should be measured for the officers of water use organizations, Superintendent Engineer and Administrator Mahendra Amle said that measuring water is the need of the hour, after which farmer representatives Dawange and Kale were fascinated. 97% of the total water available on Earth is in the oceans and is saline. Only 3% is fresh water. Of this three percent, 69% is frozen in ice caps. 30% is underground and the remaining 1% is available on the surface. Thackeray said. She further said that participatory irrigation has been given importance in the water policy in the world. The economic value of the limited available water should be increased by using water sparingly. Since women have the habit of being frugal in their lives, they should now become active in water use organizations. We should promote the sustainable development of our villages. After all, since 18% of the world’s population (143 crores) is in India, he appealed to everyone to make efforts to provide water for life and the environment. According to section no. Stating that it is mandatory, Tirmanwar further said that the water use organization movement in Maharashtra started in the year 1989-90. The government took many important decisions for the benefit of the water use organizations due to the increase in the efficiency of water management by the water use organizations. He said that he is reviving the system in a way. Mandade appealed to the farmers to plan the crops by considering the available water and added that the farmers should take value added crops with less water using drip irrigation. He gave guidance regarding other complementary industries by first informing the irrigation management technique to enable the water use organization. 15th of October, by planning the water in the dam, estimate how much water is available for irrigation and at the same time advised to plan the crop by considering the ground water in our area. Belsare gave on this occasion. He further said that water utility organizations should adopt the discipline of measuring water from the beginning. This improves irrigation management and improves efficiency. He called for the installation of water meters as soon as possible. The farmers of this area know the importance of water. Therefore, they will definitely cooperate with the government and create a role model of irrigation management by arranging water metering. It is important to keep an eye on management in all cases. If this is not the case, the organizations should fulfill their financial needs by doing other supplementary industries as per the provisions of the law. Those organizations which efficiently manage the water use and take value added crops in their area of operation, should consider implementing Farmer Producer Company. Water Organizations should consciously run the Farmer Producer Company keeping the goal of both important factors and money in mind. Emphasizing on activating the participation of women in the management of water use organizations, he further said that the government will now make arrangements to return the refunds to the local level only to those organizations that audit the water use organizations. Said to be doing.

More than two hundred farmers’ representatives and engineers attended the workshop as a large part of North Maharashtra was under the grip of drought. Under the guidance of Superintending Engineers Amle and Shinde, the team of Executive Engineer of Palkhed Division Vaibhav Bhagwat and Executive Engineer of Prabodhini Pable and Deputy Engineer Pramod Kulkarni made special efforts to make the workshop a success. 

The program concluded with a vote of thanks, then in the morning session the importance of audit by Apsunde, Certified Auditor of Cooperative Department, water measurement (part 1) by Assistant Professor Bhagwat, Valmi and in the afternoon session the lecture on water measurement (part 2) by Laxmikant Waghavakar at Global Water Management and Training Institute, Vilholi. Done. The executive director of the training institute Vani and his colleagues demonstrated the water measuring devices. All the attendees were given certificates by the water resources department and the workshop concluded.