Highlighting the severe water scarcity in 19 districts of Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar on Friday criticised the state government for its handling of the drought-like situation. While the Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is in the Opposition, his nephew Ajit’s NCP faction is part of the ruling alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
At a press conference in Mumbai, Pawar pointed out that “approximately 73% of Maharashtra is under the shadow of drought, yet the state has not taken adequate measures to address the crisis”.
The former agriculture minister emphasised that around 1,837 water tankers are operational in 1,250 villages, with additional tankers being deployed whenever needed. However, he stressed that these measures are insufficient, given the scale of the problem. The severe drought-like situation has led to significant water shortages, with many dams and reservoirs running critically low. For instance, the Jayakwadi project in Marathwada has only 5.5% water left, and some major reservoirs in Dharashiv, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Ahmednagar have less than 5% water storage.
He expressed concern over the absence of key officials in crucial meetings about drought management, criticising the agriculture minister’s non-attendance. Pawar underscored the importance of coordinated efforts and accountability among government officials to mitigate the impact.
He also noted the alarming water levels in key regions: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has only 10% water in its dams, Pune division has 35%, and Nashik’s dams are at 22% capacity. He provided statistics to underscore the gravity of the situation, revealing that 10,572 water tankers are currently in use across the state, a stark increase from last year’s 1,108 tankers. He warned that if the government does not wake up to this crisis, there are other ways to compel action, hinting at potential political or public pressure tactics.
The Marathwada region, known for its recurring water scarcity issues, faces a dire situation with depleted water resources and inadequate rainfall.
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