An inter-ministerial central team has begun assessing drought-hit areas of Maharashtra as water shortages affect hundreds of villages and settlements across the state.
At least 611 water tankers have been deployed across 10 districts as wells, borewells and ponds dry up amid deficient rainfall, according to the state’s Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
Of these, 596 are privately operated tankers and 15 are run by the government. They are supplying water to 517 villages and 2,147 hamlets and settlements.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar revenue division has reported the highest deployment, with 263 tankers operating in the region. Ahilyanagar has 153 tankers serving 150 villages and 874 settlements.
Beed has 111 tankers, while Solapur has 98. Tankers have also been deployed in Pune, Nashik, Satara, Sangli, Jalna and Dharashiv.
Central Teams Assess Rainfall Deficit and Crop Damage
An inter-ministerial central team led by Mukundan Agrawal, joint secretary in the Union agriculture ministry, reached Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday to assess the drought situation in Marathwada.
The team began field inspections on Friday, October 9, covering affected areas in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna districts. It is scheduled to visit drought-hit areas of Beed on Friday and Saturday.
During a meeting with state officials, Divisional Commissioner G Srikant briefed the team on rainfall deficits, Kharif crop damage, drinking water availability and fodder shortages.
The state government has also presented district-wise data on rainfall, crop losses, drinking water sources and fodder availability, along with projections for the coming seven months.
Officials have raised concerns about drinking water supplies in the coming months, possible dependence on tankers, fodder shortages, migration and financial distress among farmers and agricultural workers.
The assessment will help the state government make its case for assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
A second central team is assessing the situation in Ahilyanagar and Solapur, while another is visiting Yavatmal, Washim and nearby water-scarce areas of Vidarbha.
Questions Over Road Washing in Mumbai
The water shortage has also prompted questions about the use of water for washing roads in Mumbai as part of efforts to control air pollution.
Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde has written to the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), seeking clarification on a reported expenditure of Rs 8 crore on the road-washing drive and its effectiveness in reducing air pollution.
The issue has drawn attention to the use of additional water for dust control while several districts face shortages of drinking water.
Beed Administration Acts Against Illegal Water Extraction
Meanwhile, the Beed administration has launched action against people allegedly extracting water illegally from local water projects.
Police have registered cases against individuals accused of installing unauthorised motors to draw water from the Urdhva Kundalika Medium Project and the Aranwadi water storage tank.
The action comes as authorities face mounting pressure to manage water supplies for villages and settlements affected by the drought.
