Water reserves diminishing

Mumbai: Water reserves across Maharashtra, which is seeing its fourth drought since 2014, have decreased to alarming levels. The number of water tankers used in the last week of April is the highest since 2014 and 4,779 tankers have been used so far, with 1,000 of them being sent to Aurangabad alone.

In October last year, the state government had declared a drought in 151 of 358 tehsils i.e. nearly half the state. In Marathwada, the worst-hit region, water levels in eight out of nine reservoirs have hit zero.

In a series of messages posted on Twitter last week, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said guardian ministers had been asked to visit drought-affected areas to review the situation on the ground.

Mr Fadnavis’ words were met with sharp criticism from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who hit out at the government for its “late reaction”.

He said, “The government has woken up now, after my visit. It was necessary to provide drinking water for people and cattle, employment, fodder, to set up cattle camps and put together a financial package for farmers.”

However, the BJP-led ruling alliance, which faces elections in October, says it has already begun relief work.  

According to Mr Fadnavis, 1,264 fodder camps for 8.5 lakh livestock have been set up; tankers have been deployed to 12,116 villages; Rs 4,412.57 crore has been deposited in 68 lakh farmers' accounts; and Rs 1,100 crore has been disbursed as crop insurance. Mr Fadnavis had promised to make the state tanker-free by 2019 but the opposite has happened.

Through the last week of April, the number of tankers hired by the government has been the highest since the current government took over.