Illegal withdrawal of water from irrigation projects to face crackdown in Latur, says minister

Latur, Amid deficient rainfall and the possibility of a water shortage in Maharashtra's Latur district, Guardian Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale has directed officials to take stringent measures to stop illegal lifting of water from irrigation projects.

Officials said the available water has been reserved primarily for drinking purposes.

Bhosale issued the directions during a meeting at the district collectorate on Thursday to review the water availability and crop situation in the district. He said drinking water must be accorded the highest priority and directed the administration to remain prepared for the coming months, according to a media release.

Special teams should be formed to prevent illegal withdrawal of water from irrigation projects and sustained action should be taken against violators, Bhosale said.

He directed the Latur civic body, power distributor MSEDCL, police and revenue departments to launch a joint drive against illegal water lifting from the Manjara dam and water theft from pipelines catering to Latur city.

The minister said inadequate rainfall had caused considerable damage to kharif crops and reiterated the government's commitment to stand by farmers during the crisis. He directed officials to carefully record crop losses during crop-cutting experiments and ensure that assessment reports accurately reflected the ground reality.

Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, who is from Latur, directed the agriculture and animal husbandry departments to plan well to ensure adequate fodder for livestock. Since cattle and other livestock are crucial to farmers' livelihoods, authorities should ensure that a fodder shortage does not develop during the water-scarcity period, he said.

The animal husbandry department should also start guiding livestock owners on fodder availability and management, minister Patil said.

Udgir MLA Sanjay Bansode said Udgir and Jalkot tehsils have sufficient drinking water reserves until December. Measures to tackle water scarcity would have to be initiated thereafter, he said, according to the release.

MLA Abhimanyu Pawar, who represents Ausa, called for steps to prevent water wastage, including immediate repairs to damaged pipelines and action against unnecessary consumption. He also stressed the need to create public awareness about the judicious use of water.

MLC Vikram Kale urged the Latur civic body to take immediate steps to prevent water theft from pipelines and called for proper planning to ensure adequate fodder for livestock.

According to Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, a drought-like situation has developed in 18 districts of the state due to inadequate rainfall. He said nearly half of Maharashtra's farmers are currently facing a drought-like situation.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.