337 people booked for canal breach

PUNE: Over a week after TOI highlighted water thefts from a canal in Baramati taluka, the irrigation department has registered police cases against those involved in siphoning water.
Guardian minister Girish Bapat told TOI that water thefts will not be tolerated and the government was planning stringent steps to curb illegal diversion of canal water.
Following the TOI report, irrigation department's flying squads had last Sunday snapped over 100 illegal water pipeline connections in Baramati and Indapur. The department in Baramati has now filed police cases under the Maharashtra Irrigation Act against 337 people including local politicians for stealing canal water meant for kharif crops to irrigate sugarcane crops.
An official told TOI that ever since the drive started, water in the left bank canal has gone up by 3 cusec.
Squads comprising irrigation officials had started action last week and snapped over 100 illegal water pipeline connections in Baramati and Indapur. Squads had also cut electricity connections. Irrigation executive engineer V B Jadhav said the drive will continue until all illegal connections are unearthed.
However, civic activists said the entire network of water theft must be busted. "There is a nexus of politicians, irrigation officials and local bigwigs," said Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch.
Farmers in Baramati alleged that the irrigation department was taking action against only a few farmers, but sparing those who were close to officials. They alleged that officials knew about the thefts and even charged a 'fee' to sanction it. Some said they had taken loans to lay pipelines to siphon water as the department was not allocating water to them for irrigation.
Girish Bapat said the state government has taken serious note of water thefts from canals providing water to rural Pune.