3,664 Maha villages depend on tankers for water

As many as 3,664 villages and 9,095 hamlets in the state are being supplied water by tankers, the state cabinet was informed on Wednesday.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan chaired a meeting of the cabinet here.

The officials informed the cabinet that a total of 4,500 water tankers are supplying water to drought-hit areas.

The situation is becoming grimmer by the day, an official statement said. The water stock in irrigation reservoirs in the state has gone down to 20 per cent, the cabinet was informed. Several villages in central and western Maharashtra are facing a severe water scarcity.

Mercury touches 46 degree in Nagpur

Mercury on Wednesday hit a scorching 46.3 degrees in Nagpur, the season's highest, throwing life out of gear in this region of Vidarbha. The second capital of Maharashtra was closely followed by Amravati in western Vidarbha and Chandrapur in south-eastern Vidarbha which were equally hot with 46.2 degree Celsius respectively. Other parts also recorded high temperatures with Wardha heating up at 45.9 degree Celsius while Bramhapuri in Chandrapur stood at 45.8 and Akola at 45 degree Celsius. Temperatures in other cities were as follows: Washim - 43, Yavatmal- 44.2 and Gondia- 43.3 degree celsius, the Regional Meteorological Centre said on Wednesday.