On the eve of state assembly polls, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday approved a Rs 1680-crore water supply scheme for Aurangabad city in parched Marathwada region.
As per a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), around 16 lakh citizens of Aurangabad will be benefitted by the scheme which envisages supply of water directly from the Jayakwadi dam.
Marathwada, comprising eight districts, has traditionally been a low-rainfall area. The region has been reeling under drought conditions for the last four years.
The state Cabinet had recently given its approval for the first phase of Rs 4,293-crore Marathwada Water Grid Project to mitigate water woes in the region.
Water scarcity is likely to be the major issue in the Marathwada region where the BJP is trying to make deep inroads.
The elections are slated to be held in October.