Marathwada to be free of tankers

MUMBAI: With the incessant rain, all eight districts of drought-hit Marathwada are likely to become tanker-free this week.

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Two consecutive droughts led to unprecedented water crisis in Marathwada in 2015-16, affecting farmers’ earnings, bringing down overall food production and creating a drinking water crisis.

Facing water scarcity, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court had imposed a 60% water cut on distilleries of the district and 25% water cut on other industrial units in May. The water cut will be lifted soon. The water supply to Latur, another city in Marathwada that faced acute water scarcity since the end of February, resumed from Monday. Latur is the only district in the state for which water was brought daily on a special train from Ujani river of Solapur. Jaldoot Express supplies 25 lakh litres of water to Latur daily.

Umakant Dangat, divisional commissioner of Aurangabad division, said the water table of the region was rising. “Aurangabad and Jalna districts are tanker-free. In the next five days, the remaining six drought-hit districts, too, will stop using tankers for water supply,” Dangat told HT.

“During the next hearing, we will inform the court about the current status of our water stock. We are confident it will be lifted.”

Latur collector Pandurang Pol told HT of the three tap water supply schemes for Latur, two were launched on Monday, while the third one will start in a week’s time. “Nagjari and Sai water supply scheme started from Monday, while Bhandarwadi water supply scheme will start soon,” he said.

“We can stop the train after reviewing the water stock situation a week later,” Pol said.