Water quota ‘increased’ for rural areas

Mumbai: The Maharashtra water resources regulatory authority has increased the quota of water allocated per person per day in rural areas from 40 litre to 55 litre. However, it is going to be an uphill task for the government to provide water as per the revised quota in rural areas and most of the works are being carried out through the Jalyukta Shivar Yojana only. 

According to the president of the authority, K.P. Bakshi, the decision has been taken considering the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the drive to curb open defecation.

Only recently, the authority had revised water charges and fixed allocation of water from the irrigation department’s dams. So far, the daily water quota per person has been 40 litre, which has been increased by 15 litre in keeping with the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan. The water quota allocated will be 70 to 125 litre, depending on the category of the municipal council i.e. A, B or C. 

For the municipal corporation area, 135 to 150 litre water will be allocated. Allocation of water is based on availability of water and population in the area. In rural areas, it is going to be difficult to provide water as per the revised quota, especially during summer and drought situations. 

As it is, thousands of villages and small towns do not get water from any irrigation project and are dependent upon water sources such as wells and lakes. Cities and big towns get more water than the allocated quota. 

Senior officers said that the irrigation department would have to carry out a rational distribution of water which was a challenge. V.M. Kulkarni, member of the authority, told The Asian Age, 

“We have given more rights to rural areas. Everything depends upon execution now.”