Maharashtra to invest Rs 20,000 cr-Rs 25,000 cr for Marathwada water grid, Devendra Fadnavis informs Assembly

Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his government was planning to ensure piped drinking water supply in every village of parched Marathwada region through a water grid.[caption id=“attachment_2794996” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Marathwada has been facing a severe scarcity of water. File photo. Reuters[/caption] Speaking in the state Assembly during the Question Hour, Fadnavis expressed his government’s resolve to provide adequate drinking water to everyone. Fadnavis said a financial provision of Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore will be made for the Marathwada water grid, under which water from dams and other reservoirs will be supplied through pipelines to all villages in the scarcity-hit region. The chief minister was responding to Congress member Yashomati Thakur, who pointed out that the state’s Parbhani city was getting tap water supply once in 18 days while only 44 water tankers were deployed there to cater to the needs of 3.5 lakh residents. He said the agenda of the recent NITI Aayog meeting held in New Delhi was ‘Har ghar mein nal se jal’ (tap water supply in every household) in the next five years. The newly set up Jal Shakti ministry at the Centre will plan and implement policies for water conservation and supply, he said. Minister of State for Urban Development Yogesh Sagar assured the House that various water supply schemes would be completed by the end of September.