Ratnagiri to shut water supply on Mondays to stretch Sheel dam stock

Ratnagiri: Facing drought, the Ratnagiri municipal council has decided to cut water supply in the city from October 12. Supply will be shut completely every Monday, and on other days regular supply hours will be cut by 15 minutes, water committee chairman Nimesh Nair told a press conference on Friday.

With El Niño bringing drought, the cut was needed so that the city has water until April-May next year, said council president Shilpa Surve. The Sheel dam, which supplies the city, now holds 3.327 million cubic metres, and evaporation is steadily reducing the stock.

As a back-up, the council will take over the lake at Nachane and wells at Nivkhol, and will also draw water from a well at the site of the old jackwell at Sheel, Nair said.

Car-wash ramps and swimming pools will be served notices and their water connections closed.

Source: Saamana