Maharashtra Government Urges Villages to Prepare Water Crisis Plans by October 25
Maharashtras water minister directs villages to submit plans to tackle potential water shortages by October 25 amid drought concerns.
Mumbai, October 21 (Daily Kiran) : Maharashtra’s Water Supply and Sanitation Minister, Gulabrao Patil, has instructed local administrations in the Nagpur, Amravati, and Konkan divisions to prepare and submit village-specific action plans to address potential water shortages by October 25. This directive comes as the state grapples with reduced rainfall, leading to drought declarations in 304 talukas.
During a high-level review meeting, Patil emphasized the need for prompt action to complete drinking water supply projects that are 75% to 99% finished under the Jal Jeevan Mission. While he noted that there is currently no severe water shortage in these regions, he urged the administration to proactively prepare for the coming months.
Patil stated, “The administration must remain vigilant. Action plans should be developed based on ground inspections and extensive discussions with local representatives, sarpanchs, gram panchayats, and local officials.” He also highlighted the importance of prioritizing the completion of pending tasks for water supply projects that are in their final stages, including pipeline installation, pump setup, and electrical connections.
To ensure a smooth release of funds, he called for immediate verification and certification of details related to projects that are over 75% complete. Additionally, he instructed the creation of separate plans to strengthen local water sources in villages that may need to rely on tankers.
Patil recommended that 2% of the District Planning Committee (DPC) funds be primarily allocated for enhancing water source capacities. Furthermore, funds from district planning, mining, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) should be utilized for groundwater recharge initiatives, including well recharge, pond construction in fields, cement dams, cement plugs, continuous contour trenches (CCT), and repairs of old dams.
He reiterated that the deployment of water tankers should be a last resort, urging the cleaning and disinfection of existing public wells first. The minister stressed the need to focus on reviving local water sources, effective water budget management, and disciplined water conservation practices.
Patil instructed officials to promptly visit villages experiencing water crisis complaints or media reports of local issues and take necessary actions. For long-term sustainability, he suggested setting deadlines for transferring completed and successfully tested water supply schemes to district councils or gram panchayats. If local bodies delay accepting these plans, formal action will be taken according to state policy guidelines.
He concluded by emphasizing that district councils and gram panchayats must effectively manage the operation, maintenance, and payment of electricity bills for water supply schemes. Should issues related to transformers or electrical connections persist, local officials are advised to coordinate directly with district collectors and chief executive officers of district councils to find solutions.
