Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The Marathwada Pani Parishad has issued a demand, urging all political parties to pledge a drought-free Marathwada in their assembly election manifestos. The Council has formally appealed to national and regional parties to provide written assurances to address the region’s persistent drought crisis. Will parties finally prioritize Marathwada’s water needs?
The Marathwada Pani Parishad has demanded Marathwada’s rightful share of 168.75 TMC of water from west-flowing rivers, 25 TMC from the Krishna-Marathwada project, and 34 TMC from Vidarbha, to permanently end the region’s drought and reliance on water tankers. Since 2012, recurring droughts have severely impacted drinking water, agriculture, livestock, orchards, jobs, migration, health, and education. Over 10,000 farmers have tragically taken their lives due to these hardships. The Council insists on an integrated water management policy to end Marathwada’s ongoing drought crisis.
\IMarathwada's water crisis ignored\I
In August 2019, the government pledged to divert 168.75 TMC of water from west-flowing rivers to Marathwada’s drought-hit areas. Yet, five years on, not a drop has reached the region, leaving locals frustrated. The Marathwada Pani Parishad has urged political parties to commit to solving this crisis in their election manifestos. The Parishad highlights that redirecting surplus water, completing pending dams, improving distribution, clearing silt, and starting watershed projects could finally end the drought. Council president Narhari Shivpure and vice president Manohar Sarode warned that if political parties ignore Marathwada’s water crisis, a protest on the scale of the Maratha reservation will be launched in the region.