MUMBI: Maharashtra is reeling under scorching heat with 73% of the state facing severe drought conditions. The Maharashtra government has written to the Election Commission of India to relax the model code of conduct so that it can undertake necessary measures to ease the severity of the drought in the state.
According to government data, 40 tehsils in 19 districts of the state are facing serious drought conditions. Over 10,000 water tankers are deployed to supply drinking water in the drought-prone areas, informed the government.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde convened a meeting to discuss the necessary measures to be taken to tackle the crisis. He said that the government has requested ECI to ease the election code of conduct so that help can be extended to drought-prone regions immediately.
“We have also asked the local administration to increase the number of drinking water tankers as per demand. Besides, wherever fodder camps are needed, it will be set up,” Shinde said after the meeting.
The reservoirs that supply drinking water in Maharashtra are drying up. The storage of drinking water has come down to 21 per cent against the 31 per cent of last year. The worst affected region is Marathwada, where the reservoir storage has come down to a striking low of 9 per cent.
As per data from the state water supply department, the Nagpur division has 39% water storage at present against 43% last year. In Amarawati division, the water storage has come down to 34% from 44% last year. Sambhaji Nagar has reported the worst depletion with a steady drop from 42% last year to 9%.
In Nasik division, the storage has fallen from 42% to 22%. Pune division has recorded16% water storage this year, a slight fall of just 1% from the last year. In the Konkan division, there is 29% water storage this year against 34% last year.
Drawing attention to the crisis, former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said that the state government should expedite their actions and undertake necessary measures to mitigate the severity of the drought. The NCP supremo pointed out that the situation in the Marathwada and Pune divisions is quite serious.
“The election is over, now the government should pay attention towards the people's issues,” Pawar said.
