Water relief for Latur as local body restores defunct scheme

The district gets 50 lakh litres of water from the Lower Terna Water Supply Scheme

The parched district of Latur has got as much as 50 lakh litres water after the Lower Terna Water Supply Scheme became operational on Sunday.

A passenger drinks water at Miraj station as a Central Railway train carrying 15 lakh litres of water leaves for Latur on Monday. (UDAY DEOLEKAR)

This move is noteworthy since the local administration ensured that the defunct water supply scheme was restored in 15 days so that the people in the area get some respite. The local authorities received a pat on their back from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Water will be supplied to the district through the scheme till August 15, this bringing a major respite. This is in addition to the 15 lakh litres of water the district has started getting through railway wagons from Miraj.

Lower Terna is a dam situated at the border of drought-affected Osmanabad and Latur and the water supply scheme connecting supply through pipeline to the district was defunct for the past three years.

“The local administration worked very hard and they completed the repair work within 15 days,” said state revenue, relief and rehabilitation minister Eknath Khadse.

To deal with the critical water crisis of the district, the state government with the help of railways has started sending water through railway wagons from April 11.

Khadse said that in the next three days, Latur will start getting 50 lakh litres of water through railway wagons. “Two trains with 50 wagons each will supply 50 lakh litres of water to Latur every day till the end of July,” he said. Latur needs 25 mld water every day.