 "Only 17% water stock left in Maharashtra")
Free food packets, new hand pumps and maximum power supply are some of the measures employed by the Uttar Pradesh government to provide succour to the drought-affected Bundelkhand region.
Last year, 50 out of total 75 districts in UP were declared drought hit due to deficient rainfall with the 7 districts of Bundelkhand being the worst affected. These include Lalitpur, Jhansi, Jaluan, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot districts.
In his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on May 7, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had sought adequate assistance in combating drought in the state. He had urged the Centre to release funds for completion various pending projects, including potable water.
Talking to Business Standard, UP Relief Commissioner Anil Kumar today said the state was supplying free food packets to the drought affected families in Bundelkhand. These packets are being provided to about 1.80 lakh families covered under the 'Antyodaya' scheme, which enumerates poorest of the poor population for subsidised ration.
He claimed about 1,000 water tankers had been pressed into service to provide water in 11 parched districts in Bundelkhand and other areas in UP.
Earlier, the Centre had dispatched a 'water train' to UP for supplying water in the drought affected Bundelkhand.
The train comprising water-wagons sans water was stationed at the Jhansi railway station, however, the ruling Samajwadi Party government had turned down the offer and claimed the water train was not needed as there was ample amount of water in the existing water bodies in the region.
Instead, Yadav had asked the Centre to provide 10,000 water tankers, so that they could be deployed for ferrying water to the people in remote areas. The government also claimed that against its Drought Memorandum 2015, UP had so far received only Rs 934 crore against Rs 2,057 crore sought from the central government.
Meanwhile, the government is installing new hand pumps and re-boring tube wells, which had turned dry owing to depleting water table in Bundelkhand.
"We are constructing check dams to prevent water pilferage and replenishing ponds and water bodies," Kumar added.
The government had directed for 24 hr power supply in Bundelkhand, so that tube wells could be operated unabatedly during need. Apart from people, the relief commissioner's office is taking steps to providing water to the livestock and arranging for their fodder.
The UP Disaster Management Department had sought Rs 1,261 crore and Rs 2,057 crore for providing relief to farmers pertaining to rabi and kharif crops respectively.
