With the monsoon playing truant and many parts of the State reeling under drinking water shortage as a consequence, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday reviewed the situation with collectors of 20 districts across Maharashtra through a video-conference and assured them that the State Government would release money from the drought relief fund the moment it received proposals from them.
During the review meeting, Chavan also informed the district collectors and divisional commissioner that the earlier deadline of June 30 — for utilization of funds to the tune of Rs2 crore from the chief minister’s relief fund for addressing drinking water shortage — was being extended.
The Chief Minister asked the district collectors to make use of the available water in various dams across the state only drinking water purposes. “Top priority should be given to making available water for drinking water purposes. The water available in various dams should not be released with the permission of the district collector concerned,” Chavan said.
Chavan said that sowing operation would have to be done once again in many of the districts in the state, owing to inadequate rainfall during the current monsoon. “Similarly, drinking water have to be supplied to villages through tankers,” he said, as he asked the district collectors to draw up independent plans to meet the drought-related exigencies.