Latur, Oct 13 Considering the prevailing drought, the authorities in Maharashtra’s Latur have called for preparing a contingency plan to manage available water resources, ensure drinking water supply and tackle an anticipated shortage of fodder.
A review meeting was held at the collector’s office on Monday to take stock of the prevailing drought and crop damage situation.
With deficient rainfall damaging kharif crops and water levels in the district’s irrigation projects remaining low, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and Latur Guardian Secretary Manisha Mhaiskar stressed the need for judicious use of limited water available in irrigation projects, giving top priority to drinking water.
She asked the water resources department to coordinate with municipal corporations and councils to plan drinking water supplies according to project-wise reservations through August next year. Where existing sources are unlikely to meet demand, officials must identify alternative sources and prepare contingency plans immediately.
She also directed authorities to repair government wells, borewells and hand pumps in Latur city, other urban local bodies and rural areas, and expedite the commissioning of pending Jal Jeevan Mission schemes.
Speaking during the meeting, Collector Dr Bharat Bastewad said inadequate rainfall had caused extensive damage to crops across the district and groundwater levels had fallen by around 4.58 metres. Water supply was currently being maintained in drought-affected villages through the acquisition of 220 borewells and wells, he said.
The district currently has fodder stocks sufficient for around 100 days, and arrangements are being made to ensure supplies in the coming months, Bastewad said.
Mhaiskar directed officials to speed up crop-loss assessments and complete crop-cutting experiments at the earliest to ensure accurate documentation of losses suffered by farmers.
With fodder likely to become a major concern, she asked the animal husbandry department to prepare a comprehensive supply plan and encourage farmers with sufficient water for the rabi season to cultivate fodder.
The guardian secretary also called for prioritising water conservation works under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).
Mhaiskar visited the drought mitigation war room set up at the collector’s office to coordinate relief measures across departments. She reviewed its functioning and issued instructions to improve coordination and implementation.
The 14-member team includes officials from revenue, the municipal corporation, agriculture, animal husbandry, public works and municipal council departments.
On September 26, the Maharashtra government declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of 74 drought-affected talukas, followed by Amravati with 56, Nashik with 49, Nagpur with 39, Pune with 35 and Thane with 12, including one in Raigad, three in Ratnagiri and eight in Sindhudurg, have been included in the list.
(PTI News)
