Pawar issues warning to Shinde government over drought situation in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday warned the Maharashtra government that its failure to take steps for drought mitigation will lead to a clash between him and the government. In a letter written to chief minister minister Eknath Shinde, the NCP founder said that he cannot keep quiet when the people are suffering.
“I have always taken a cooperative stand with the state government when it comes todealing with drought. However, it is becoming difficult for me to keep quiet looking at the plight of people in the current situation. I appeal to the state government to take firm steps for drought mitigation at the earliest. In case of failure to do so on the government’s part, I will be forced to take a combative stand,” the veteran politician said.
Several parts of Maharashtra are facing severe water crisis and drought like situation.According to a state government report, the average water stock in nearly 3,000 dams in Maharashtra is down to 21.40 per cent on Monday which is more than eight per cent less than the water stock available on the same date last year. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division is the worst affected with only 8.57 per cent average water stock left in reservoirs.
Highlighting the gravity of the drought situation and depleted water levels in dams, which has led to severe water scarcity in several regions across the state, Pawar said, “At a press conference in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on May 24, I had taken a stand of cooperation with the government to fight the drought situation in the state. You (the chief minister) had also reviewed the drought situation in Marathwada but public representatives and ministers were missing at the review meeting. The state government has not made full-fledged efforts to address the drought situation. In the last ten days, the severity of the drought has escalated, exacerbated by dwindling water levels in dams, while several regions are grappling with acute water scarcity.
Expressing concern over the state government’s “failure” to implement new relief measures for the drought-affected people, Pawar said he cannot continue to cooperate with the government if it does not undertake relief measures. “The state government has not taken adequate measures to tackle the severe condition of horticulture affected by water scarcity. The schemes to alleviate the drought have not percolated to the grassroot level,” he said.