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Guv warns of water crisis
Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan on Friday apprehended that the State could be heading for a severe water crisis, if the ongoing irrigation projects were not completed on a war-footing.
Inaugurating a symposium on “Maharashtra: Past, Present and Future', the Governor disclosed that the State Government needed a whooping Rs 75,000 crore to complete various pending major, medium and minor irrigation projects in the State.
Calling for long term measures to tackle recurring drought in Maharashtra and increase water availability, the Governor said: “There are hundreds of major, medium and minor irrigation projects that are awaiting completion. We need atleast Rs 75,000 crore to complete these projects. There is a need to consult experts and decide priorities among the ongoing projects”.
“I have therefore asked the State Government to complete ongoing irrigation projects that are nearing completion on priority so that the actual benefits of the projects would reach the people. Unless we address this issue on a war footing, we could be heading for a water crisis,” Sankaranarayanan said.
The Governor’s remarks should be viewed in the context of the fact that many parts of Maharashtra are currently reeling under severe drought. “In the last few days, I met several delegations of legislators, journalists and affected persons. Water scarcity is indeed very serious in many talukas of Maharashtra. Water tables have depleted to new lows. The State Government is doing everything possible to tackle the situation,” the Governor said.
Sankaranarayanan said that more than 50 per cent of people in Maharashtra were still depending on agriculture for sustenance and this sector must receive unstinted attention and support from our Government. “It should be our endeavour to make farming a viable proposition for our farmers. Our agriculture universities and research institutions will have to play a major role in making agriculture and allied sector profitable for our farmers,” he said.
Alluding to the latest census figures which showed that the Maharashtra’s population had increased from 9.69 crore to 11.23 crore during the last one decade, the Governor said: “This means we added a population equal to thrice the population of New Zealand to our own population in just 10 years”.
Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan on Friday apprehended that the State could be heading for a severe water crisis, if the ongoing irrigation projects were not completed on a war-footing.
Inaugurating a symposium on “Maharashtra: Past, Present and Future', the Governor disclosed that the State Government needed a whooping Rs 75,000 crore to complete various pending major, medium and minor irrigation projects in the State.
Calling for long term measures to tackle recurring drought in Maharashtra and increase water availability, the Governor said: “There are hundreds of major, medium and minor irrigation projects that are awaiting completion. We need atleast Rs 75,000 crore to complete these projects. There is a need to consult experts and decide priorities among the ongoing projects”.
“I have therefore asked the State Government to complete ongoing irrigation projects that are nearing completion on priority so that the actual benefits of the projects would reach the people. Unless we address this issue on a war footing, we could be heading for a water crisis,” Sankaranarayanan said.
The Governor’s remarks should be viewed in the context of the fact that many parts of Maharashtra are currently reeling under severe drought. “In the last few days, I met several delegations of legislators, journalists and affected persons. Water scarcity is indeed very serious in many talukas of Maharashtra. Water tables have depleted to new lows. The State Government is doing everything possible to tackle the situation,” the Governor said.
Sankaranarayanan said that more than 50 per cent of people in Maharashtra were still depending on agriculture for sustenance and this sector must receive unstinted attention and support from our Government. “It should be our endeavour to make farming a viable proposition for our farmers. Our agriculture universities and research institutions will have to play a major role in making agriculture and allied sector profitable for our farmers,” he said.
Alluding to the latest census figures which showed that the Maharashtra’s population had increased from 9.69 crore to 11.23 crore during the last one decade, the Governor said: “This means we added a population equal to thrice the population of New Zealand to our own population in just 10 years”.
