Kolhapur: The Kolhapur City Civic Action Committee members alleged that the irrigation department deliberately cut off the water supply to the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation on Friday after a public representative gave orders for the same. They alleged that the water cut was a “deliberate” move orchestrated by political interests to discourage fringe villages from merging with the KMC. The committee members also alleged that the irrigation department levied incorrect water charges on KMC.Social activist Dilip Desai said, “Few political leaders are opposed to the KMC merger and this leader intentionally asked the irrigation department to cut the water supply to KMC so that the villagers continue with their opposition to the merger. The municipal corporation has been paying an estimated Rs 160.84 crore to the water resources department for water shortage. However, out of this outstanding amount, the municipal corporation has to pay only Rs 61.92 crore for the water pumped. The remaining Rs 59.92 crore is due as a penalty fee and Rs 27.42 crore for payment delay. Which means, the municipal corporation has to pay approximately Rs 86.33 crore as interest on the principal amount of Rs 59.92 crore. The KMC’s urban development department has been hit with a huge amount of interest.”A written statement of demands was handed over to superintendent engineer C R Patil of the irrigation department. Advocate Baba Indulkar of the Action Committee further alleged that the irrigation department’s levy system is fundamentally flawed. He noted that while the KMC has a quota of 76.67 million cubic meters (mcm), it only uses 68.98 mcm. Since 2014, the department has allegedly been charging a 1.5x penalty on the unused 10% portion.“Furthermore, the department levies charges based on a breakdown of 85% domestic, 5% commercial, and 15% industrial use. In reality, the city’s actual usage is 95% domestic, with industrial use at a negligible 0.10%. This means the ‘water resources’ levies are based on incorrect data,” Indulkar stated.The escalating “tit-for-tat” actions led to an emergency late-evening meeting involving mayor Ruparani Nikam, KMC officials, and irrigation department executive rngineer Neeta Mane. Higher-level intervention followed, with discussions involving state ministers Chandrakant Patil and Hasan Mushrif, Kolhapur MP Dhananjay Mahadik, and water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.Following these deliberations, minister Vikhe-Patil ordered irrigation officials to restore the water supply and remove the seals from the civic pumping stations. By late Friday night, water supply was resumed, and the KMC subsequently unsealed the Irrigation Department’s office.A formal coordination meeting has been scheduled for March 25 to resolve the underlying disputes regarding outstanding dues and billing discrepancies between the two bodies.Earlier on Friday, the state irrigation department stopped water supply to the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC), claiming over Rs 180 crore in unpaid dues. The KMC’s property department retaliated by sealing the irrigation department’s office at Tarabai Park, claiming Rs 10.57 crore arrears in rent.The action from either side led to an emergent late-evening meeting between mayor Ruparani Nikam, KMC officials, and the irrigation department’s executive engineer Neeta Mane and other officials concerned. A discussion was also held with water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil through ministers Chandrakant Patil, Hasan Mushrif and Kolhapur MP Dhananjay Mahadik. Following the meeting, the water resources minister asked the irrigation officials to remove the seals from the civic pumping stations.On late Friday night, the irrigation department restarted the water supply to KMC, whereas the seal on the irrigation department office was also removed by KMC officials. A coordination meeting has been called on March 25 to resolve issues regarding outstanding dues between KMC and the irrigation department.
