Maharashtra has directed district administrations to restore defunct piped-water supply schemes within 15 days as the state responds to drought conditions and seeks to reduce dependence on water tankers. The instructions were issued at a high-level meeting of the drought mitigation cabinet subcommittee chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Bawankule said tankers should be treated as the last option for supplying water. District collectors have been instructed to restart schemes where 75 per cent of the work has been completed but the remaining 25 per cent has stalled because of a lack of funds. The schemes are to be made operational within the next 15 days, according to the report by Sakal.
The meeting reviewed the state’s water situation and was attended by 11 ministers from the subcommittee and senior administrative officials. The government also discussed the outstanding payments linked to water-supply schemes, which were estimated at around Rs 3,000 crore across Maharashtra.
Officials were asked to examine a one-time settlement plan under which penalties and interest on the outstanding amount could be waived, while the principal would be paid in stages. The meeting also considered using funds from the 15th and 16th Finance Commissions to meet current electricity bills for water-supply schemes.
The instructions place electricity payments and incomplete construction at the centre of the effort to restore rural water infrastructure. Schemes that are physically close to completion may still remain unusable if electricity connections are disrupted or operating bills are unpaid. The government’s proposed settlement mechanism is intended to address the accumulated financial obligations, although the report does not provide a final implementation schedule for it.
The subcommittee also directed district collectors to prepare a standard operating procedure for water planning and fodder management in coordination with the agriculture and animal husbandry departments. Districts are expected to establish fodder banks so that surplus fodder can be moved to neighbouring drought-affected districts.
The government said Rs 62 crore would be allocated for fodder seeds. Farmers with access to sustainable water sources would receive the seeds to encourage fodder production. Government institutions would also purchase fodder at guaranteed prices, according to the information presented at the meeting.
Maharashtra is implementing the third phase of drought mitigation measures across 305 talukas. The administration said all relevant data would be compiled by October 31, after which a clearer assessment of the drought situation across the state would be available in the following week.
The meeting also included proposals to use corporate social responsibility funds and District Planning and Development Committee funds for drought mitigation. Other suggestions included creating water-storage structures while constructing roads and making unused land under the revenue department available to women’s self-help groups for fodder production. The immediate administrative milestone is the 15-day deadline for restoring eligible piped-water schemes, followed by the state-wide drought assessment after October 31.
