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Mumbai, Maharashtra face grave water crisis
As the
monsoon continues to play truant, Maharashtra stands on the
threshold of a grave water crisis, a top official indicated here
Monday.
Ringing alarm bells, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Monday
admitted that with the monsoon failing to report on time in most
parts of the
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Mumbai: A day after
authorities warned of water rationing in the state capital,
Maharashtra Wednesday said tough times may be ahead with only 13
percent water left in the reservoirs and the monsoon, which
normally arrives June 10, yet to make its full impact felt.
State Water Supply Minister Laxmanrao Dhoble said as of June 27
last year (2011), Maharashtra had 26 percent water stored in all
its reservoirs catering to the 12 crore population of the state.
This year, the situation has turned very grim with just 13 percent
water available in reservoirs and unless it rains soon, there will
be tough times ahead, Dhoble warned.
The warning of likely water rationing came Tuesday from Mumbai
Mayor Sunil Prabhu, who said the current water stock in the city
could only last till July 15.
Similarly, Minister of State for Urban Development Sachin Aher has
criticised the weather department for making "faulty" forecast on
arrival of monsoon.
The "faulty forecasting did not enable us to make proper planning
to conserve the scarce water available at our disposal", Aher
said.
Since the past two days, the state has already initiated steps to
combat the situation and is preparing to impose stringent measures
to stretch the supply of the available water as much as possible.
While all supplies to agriculture and farmlands have been
discontinued and diverted for drinking purposes, various municipal
corporations and councils, as also village administrations plan to
impose severe water cuts.
Left with just enough water to last till July 15, even the
BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation is contemplating a 10 percent
cut in daily water supply to its 18 million people.
Pune, with only four percent water in its reservoirs, has already
started implementing alternate day supply from Wednesday.
With water levels plummeting to unprecedented depths, questions
are being raised on the probable power supply scenario if the
monsoon fails.
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