Satara’s canals are being desilted to increase water-carrying capacity and remove obstructions, ensuring smoother flow
“Our village of 3,000 people receives a 12,000-litre tanker once every two or three days.
Sometimes it arrives late,” Raju Pujari, a resident of Khatnal village in Sangli’s Jat taluka, said. Tankers have been supplying water for the past month, but many households do not have enough storage capacity to last until the next delivery,” activist Bharat Dattu said. Maharashtra agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne said the state’s drought-monitoring ministerial subcommittee would soon decide on setting up cattle camps and fodder depots based on local requirements.
The early dependence on tanker supply is unusual for this time of the year and is expected to worsen as reservoirs’ levels shrink and groundwater sources dry up. With wells and borewells running dry, villages are increasingly demanding additional tanker trips. “These villages have no water supply network and are located at higher altitudes, making pipeline connectivity difficult. The crisis is also raising concerns over water sources for tanker operations and fodder availability for livestock.