Maharashtra water scarcity: Residents of only 7 Marathwada towns get water daily

Out of 76 urban centres across eight districts in Maharashtra's Marathwada region, only seven receive water supply daily, as per a report prepared by the Aurangabad divisional commissioner's office, a grim figure that highlights acute water shortage in the arid region in central part of the state.

The gap between two water supplies ranges from one to 15 days. The highest gap of 15 days is in Badnapur town of Jalna district, said the report.

The 76 urban centres mentioned in the report have either a municipal council or a nagar panchayat.

According to the report, there are only seven tehsil-level towns in the region where residents receive water supply daily.

Six of them are in Nanded district - Kundalwadi, Kinwat, Dharmabad, Biloli, Ardhapur and Himayatnagar. The seventh town is Paithan in Aurangabad district, which is located on the banks of the Godavari river, it said.

Latur district, which received water through rail wagons in 2016, has no town which gets water everyday.

In Latur district, Nilanga gets water supply on alternate days. The gap between two water supplies in other eight towns of Latur district varies from three to 10 days, the report said.

The condition of Badnapur town in Jalna is the most acute as it receives water supply once in 15 days, followed by Ausa (in Latur), which gets supply after a gap of 11 days, and Devni (Latur), which gets water after an interval of 10 days, the report said.

Earlier this week, the BJP organised a 'Jalakrosh' morcha in Aurangabad (where residents get water once a week) over the water shortage issue. Senior party leader Devendra Fadnavis and two Union ministers took part in the agitation.

Asked about the report, water expert Pradeep Purandare blamed politicians and rapid urbanisation for the prevailing situation.