Ask local bodies to ensure water in drought-hit areas: HC to

The Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra government to issue instructions on a war-footing to municipal commissioners and CEOs of zila panchayats to ensure sufficient water supply in drought-hit areas of the state.
Taking up suo motu the PIL on farmers' suicides in Maharashtra, the division bench headed by Justice Naresh Patil pointed out that in some areas such as Osmanabad district of Marathwada, one of the factors driving farmers to suicide was lack of water.
Funds under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should be used for the benefit of farmers, it suggested, adding that the state government should come out with a proposal on what kind of help the private companies can give to the farmers under the CSR spend.

The high court also asked the government to ensure that polluted water was not allowed to flow to the drought-hit areas.
The government said it had asked the ministers concerned and guardian ministers of drought-hit areas to visit these places and collect first-hand information.
"We are launching schemes for the benefit of farmers and ensure that schemes are effectively implemented," said government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani.

Monitoring committees had also been appointed, he said.
Experts had been appointed under the Vasantrao Naik Swavlamban (self-reliance) Mission to provide assistance to people in drought-hit areas, the government pleader added.
Last month the state had told the court that 124 farmers had committed suicide in Maharashtra since January 1.

Ashutosh Kumbhkoni, appointed as amicus curiae (to assist the court), had cited a National Bureau of Crime Records' statistic that 15,978 farmers had committed suicide in Maharashtra in the past five years.