An inter-ministerial central team has arrived in Maharashtra to assess the drought situation, as the state remains parched due to a severe water crisis.
Meanwhile, the Beed administration has launched a crackdown against individuals stealing water from illegal projects. Police have registered cases against these individuals, and have launched a joint operation against those who have been drawing water by installing illegal motors at the Urdhva Kundalika Medium Project and the Aranwadi water storage tank. Other areas where the tankers are operating include Pune, Nashik, Satara, Sangli, Jalna and Dharashiv. Meanwhile, the central team led by Muktanand Agrawal, Joint Secretary and CEO (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), held a review meeting with state officials. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Divisional Commissioner G Srikant briefed the panel on rainfall deficits, Kharif crop loss, and drinking water and fodder shortages,. It will then visit Washim and Yavatmal in Western Vidarbha. The panel will hold wrap-up discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after concluding its four-day statewide survey. Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde wrote a letter to the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), seeking clarification on the matter and how the washing of the roads contributed in curbing air pollution. Questions were raised regarding the justification for using additional water to wash roads amid the severe water shortage in the state.
Over 600 tankers have been deployed across 10 districts in Maharashtra after wells, borewells, and ponds have begun to dry up as monsoon takes a backseat. A total of 611 tankers, including 15 government-run and 596 privately-operated ones, have been deployed in these drought-affected districts, according to a report by the Water Supply and Sanitation Department. The tankers are serving 517 villages and 2,147 hamlets or settlements across the state. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar revenue division is the worst-affected area, with 263 tankers deployed there alone. As many as 153 tankers have been deployed in Ahilyanagar, with 150 villages and 874 settlements being affected. In Beed, 111 tankers have been deployed, while Solapur has 98. The team is conducting field visits on October 9 and 10 across Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, and Beed. Amid the severe water crisis, concerns were raised regarding a drive to wash roads in Mumbai to tackle air pollution, which reportedly cost Rs 8 crore to the government.
