A government report says nearly 11,500 of Maharashtra’s 40,000 villages face water scarcity due to a combination of less than normal rainfall and consequent exploitation of groundwater
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared a ‘drought-like situation’ in 180 tehsils , more than half the 353 of these administrative units in the state, in an acknowledgement of looming agrarian distress.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said after a cabinet meeting that his government would soon issue a government resolution (GR) following which these tehsils would be entitled to relief measures, including water supply through tankers, waiver of land revenue, electricity bill for agricultural consumption and education fees.
“These tehsils were selected after we strictly followed the scientific norms set by the government of India. Various mitigation measures will be implemented in these villages now,” Fadnavis said. A central government team would soon visit these tehsils to make its own assessment and declare assistance, he said.
Maharashtra, in particular Marathwada, Vidarbha and parts of western and southern Maharashtra, faced a severe and prolonged drought in 2014 and 2015.
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