Minister of state for housing Ravindra Waikar has written a letter to the BMC commissioner asking him to make arrangements of temporary shelter in municipal schools for people migrating to Mumbai from
Minister of state for housing Ravindra Waikar has written a letter to the BMC commissioner asking him to make arrangements of temporary shelter in municipal schools for people migrating to Mumbai from drought-affected areas.
Asking the BMC to act on his suggestion at the earliest, Mr Waikar in his letter said, “There are nearly 1,200 municipal schools in Mumbai. Currently, these schools are closed because of summer vacation. Therefore, if the people migrating to the state capital from Latur, Osmanabad and other drought-affected districts are provided shelter in these schools, it will send a message that the authorities are compassionate about them and these people can also use civic facilities and infrastructure available in these schools.”
Latur and Osmanabad district are facing acute water shortage this year. District administration in both the districts had imposed section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in both the districts to bar assembly of more than five people around the wells and water filling points to prevent possible violence.
Mr Waikar had recently visited a few villages in Deoni taluka of Latur district. “The situation in those villages is so grave that people have no option but to migrate to cities in search of livelihood. Some people from drought-affected areas are camping at Dattaji Salvi ground in Bhatwadi area of Ghatkopar,” Mr Waikar said.
According to the latest data obtained from the water resources department, for the week ending April 15, only three per cent of water stock is available in all the 814 major, medium and minor irrigation projects in Marathwada region.
The 75 minor irrigation dams in Marathwada have just four per cent water stock, while 728 minor irrigation projects are left with a paltry three per cent. Battling the acute water scarcity in various parts of the state, the department has deployed 4,356 tankers across Maharashtra to supply drinking water.
