Buldhana drought: Union minister Prataprao Jadhav asks officials to plan fodder, drinking water

Union Minister of State Prataprao Jadhav on Monday directed the Buldhana district administration to plan properly for fodder for livestock and drinking water in the coming period, keeping in view the drought situation in the district. The state government has declared Buldhana district drought-affected. The drought is expected to worsen in the coming period, bringing a water problem, the statement said. A fodder problem for livestock is also expected.

A meeting was held at the Collector's office on Monday to review what the administration is doing in view of the water and fodder shortage, and Jadhav spoke on that occasion. Collector Dr Praveen Deore, Zilla Parishad CEO Dr Chavan, officials of the Zilla Parishad water supply department, the district agriculture officer, the district livestock officer and officials of the power distribution company attended. Officials of water projects in the district were also present. Jadhav asked for water planning at the village level.

He said silt in dams should be removed free of cost for farmers with JCB machines, and rivers should be deepened with public participation. Most rivers in Jalgaon and Sangrampur talukas flow through the folds of the Satpura range. Stones also wash down with the water and, as they settle, these rivers have narrowed. He therefore directed that they be deepened and widened.

Jadhav said public wells in villages should be cleaned so that every person in a village gets water. He said elevated water tanks should also be set up in villages to make water available for public use. He also directed the administration to give power connections immediately to wells dug under Jal Jeevan.

Jadhav, who is Union Minister of State and the Member of Parliament from Buldhana, took stock of the measures the administration has taken against water scarcity. He said drinking water should be reserved by properly balancing the available water stock and the dead storage in the district's dams and projects. He also said officials should examine whether the remaining water allows one round of irrigation for the kharif tur crop. Jadhav made clear that the remaining water should be made available to farmers so that tur yields do not fall.