Now section 144 imposed in Ahmednagar

Photo courtesy: India Today

After Latur and Parbhani, Ahmednagar becomes the third district in Maharashtra to impose section 144.

With little respite from the state’s water crisis, Ahmednagar has decided to impose section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) around the Kukadi canal project to avoid a possible law and order situation. The section prohibits an assembly of more than five persons around the water body.

Both Pune and Ahmednagar draw water from this project. But off late, authorities have witnessed a rise in complaints about water being diverted for irrigation purposes. As a result, the administration decided to take preventive action and ensure that the water is being released for potable purposes.

“With the steadily depleting ground water table and reserve stocks in the district’s dams barely 50 per cent, we are releasing water for drinking purposes only. The section has been imposed till May 5, till the process of releasing the water is completed,” said District Collector Anil Kawade.

Pune too is severely affected by the crisis with water storage levels of its four major dams plummeting below 20 percent.