States » WestPosted at: Oct 6 2026 9:33PM


10 pc water cut imposed across Maharashtra

Nashik, Oct 6 (UNI) The Maharashtra government today decided to impose a 10 per cent water cut in both urban and rural areas amid the prevailing drought situation.
It has also decided to take action against banks that harass farmers for loan recovery, address fodder shortages and ensure that drought relief reaches farmers before Diwali.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drought Mitigation Measures, chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
Water Resources and Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Gulabrao Patil, Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, Soil and Water Conservation Minister Sanjay Rathod, Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Patil, Environment and Animal Husbandry Minister Pankaja Munde, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne and Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, along with senior officials, attended the meeting.
Bawankule said that 45 per cent of crop-loss 'panchnamas' have been completed so far and directed officials to expedite the remaining process.
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Patil suggested that keeping 5 pc of the funds separately reserved for the panchnama process. The committee also stressed that crop insurance-related work must be carried out in a transparent and systematic manner.
The Revenue Minister expressed strong displeasure over delays by banks in providing crop loans. He said that only 8 pc of the crop-loan target has been achieved so far and directed banks not to repeatedly demand documents from farmers who have already availed crop loans.
Banks and private financiers have also been warned against repeatedly calling farmers and pressuring them for loan repayment during the drought period. Bawankule said strict action would be taken against institutions found harassing farmers. District-level meetings chaired by district collectors, along with discussions at the Chief Secretary level, will be held to resolve such issues.
The government has also directed officials to complete heirs' records and KYC formalities under the loan-waiver scheme at the village level, ensuring that no eligible farmer is deprived of benefits. Farmers who are not registered on AgriStack should also receive assistance, while efforts should be made to bring Class-II landholders onto the AgriStack platform.
Following a suggestion by Nitesh Rane, the committee also decided that AgriStack should not be made mandatory for farmers in the Konkan region. Efforts are also underway to resolve online difficulties faced in the Digital Crop Survey.
To tackle fodder shortages, Bawankule proposed setting up fodder depots through gram panchayats instead of relying entirely on cattle camps. This would allow livestock to remain with farmers and enable them to retain milk production at home.
Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, however, said cattle camps could not be completely ruled out and suggested examining both fodder depots and cattle camps.
The committee subsequently decided to develop large fodder banks through grassland development on forest department land, fallow land and government land near irrigation reservoirs.
In Vidarbha and Konkan, paddy straw will be stored instead of being burnt and will be processed into cattle feed. Under the National Livestock Mission (NLM), silage-making and distribution of silage bags will be promoted. Hydroponics and Azolla projects are also proposed through CSR funding.
The meeting also focused on Rabi crops and water conservation. Despite difficulties during the Kharif season, the government noted that Rabi crops could still be taken if sufficient moisture or water support is available. Chana and jowar will be prioritised in areas with adequate moisture.
The government has prohibited the use of potable or clean drinking water for construction activities. Construction agencies will have to use treated water from sewage treatment plants (STPs).
The Water Resources Department has issued directions for proper water planning up to August 31, while district-level coordination committees headed by guardian ministers will be established.
The meeting also discussed construction of recharge shafts, revival of defunct water-supply schemes and other groundwater-recharge measures.
Environment Minister Pankaja Munde proposed implementing the 'Jaltara' project at locations with check dams and silt deposits as well as tanker-filling points. Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan suggested desilting old wells and lakes and installing RO plants to provide clean drinking water.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik called for proper taluka-wise distribution of CSR funds and suggested reserving 10 pc of the funds for drought awareness activities.
A team of the central government will visit Maharashtra within the next two days to assess the drought situation in the state.
According to Bawankule, the central team is expected to arrive on October 10 or 12 and will conduct inspections through three separate teams.
The teams will visit Beed–Dharashiv, Yavatmal–Washim and Ahilyanagar–Solapur districts to assess the drought situation and review the relief measures being undertaken by the state government. UNI BHG SS
Tags: #10 pc water cut imposed across Maharashtra
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