Kolhapur: Tehsildars of talukas that are reeling under water scarcity have been authorised to acquire private borewells till July 31 to fill tankers and ensure water supply to parched villages.
“They were given authority to acquire water from private sources till July 31 as few tehsils in the district have seen deficient rainfall. Man tehsil is the worst affected and we have deployed 40 tankers there. We have also asked tehsildars to ensure that water supply is not stopped merely on the account of shortage of fuel in the tankers,” Satara collector Jitendra Dudi said.
The move comes as around 335 villages and 985 hamlets across the state face water scarcity. A total of 309 tankers have been deployed in these areas to ensure availability of drinking water. During the corresponding period last year, a total of 77 villages and 170 hamlets were facing drinking water shortage while only 71 tankers were operational. This year the arrival of monsoon was delayed and despite recent rainfall, ponds and lakes are not full.
Currently, Nashik district has highest number — 58 — water tankers operational as the district faces a 11% rainfall deficiency. Ahmednagar has 53 water tankers while Satara has 52 water tankers operational.
Four districts — Pune, Satara, Solapur and Ahmednagar — are witnessing deficient rainfall while Dharashiv, Jana, Beed and Parbhani are seeing an over 20% rainfall deficiency. The state government has ordered each district to continue desilting of ponds and lakes it is likely that the deficiency will be made up by future rain.
“They were given authority to acquire water from private sources till July 31 as few tehsils in the district have seen deficient rainfall. Man tehsil is the worst affected and we have deployed 40 tankers there. We have also asked tehsildars to ensure that water supply is not stopped merely on the account of shortage of fuel in the tankers,” Satara collector Jitendra Dudi said.
The move comes as around 335 villages and 985 hamlets across the state face water scarcity. A total of 309 tankers have been deployed in these areas to ensure availability of drinking water. During the corresponding period last year, a total of 77 villages and 170 hamlets were facing drinking water shortage while only 71 tankers were operational. This year the arrival of monsoon was delayed and despite recent rainfall, ponds and lakes are not full.
Currently, Nashik district has highest number — 58 — water tankers operational as the district faces a 11% rainfall deficiency. Ahmednagar has 53 water tankers while Satara has 52 water tankers operational.
Four districts — Pune, Satara, Solapur and Ahmednagar — are witnessing deficient rainfall while Dharashiv, Jana, Beed and Parbhani are seeing an over 20% rainfall deficiency. The state government has ordered each district to continue desilting of ponds and lakes it is likely that the deficiency will be made up by future rain.