Maha govt orders 100 water absorption pits in every village across 304 drought-hit talukas
Mumbai, Oct 26
The Maharashtra government on Monday directed authorities to undertake soil and water conservation works in 304 talukas where drought triggers were activated during the 2026 kharif season, including constructing at least 100 water absorption pits in every village, desilting water bodies and repairing check dams.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued by the Soil and Water Conservation Department, the measures aim to address drought conditions arising from inadequate rainfall and strengthen water conservation infrastructure across the affected areas.
This initiative is in addition to 12 mitigation measures already taken by the state government to tackle the drought.
The government has directed officials to complete ongoing and incomplete works under departmental schemes and repair existing soil and water conservation structures.
The GR also mandates the installation of gates or planks on weirs and check dams to retain water, with periodic inspections.
Authorities must repair damaged Kolhapur-type weirs by installing needles, remove silt from water storage structures and deepen and widen streams in villages across the affected tehsils.
Officials have also been asked to construct sandbag check dams, or temporary earthen check dams, and provide recharge shafts at stream-deepening sites, dams and ponds.
The government has directed authorities to install rainwater harvesting systems in government and private buildings.
The GR has asked for an effective implementation of conservation works undertaken through voluntary organisations, including Paani Foundation, Naam Foundation, Tata Trusts and Chandra Foundation.
The government has identified multiple funding sources, including the Jal Yukta Shivar Abhiyan 2.0 and the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana's watershed development component 2.0 in villages covered by these schemes.
Other sources include district planning committee funds, special component schemes, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe sub-plans, Tanda development schemes, the Mineral Development Fund, MPs', MLAs' and MLCs' funds, corporate social responsibility contributions, and funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and VB-G RAM G.
The GR directs field officials to prioritise repairs based on updated information available on the JalDarpan app, which records structures requiring maintenance.
District collectors can approve eligible repair works costing less than Rs 25 lakh, subject to prescribed financial norms and a ceiling of 20 per cent of the applicable financial standards, the resolution states.
The GR has come after the state government's decisions to declare drought and extend relief measures in 304 tehsils where Trigger-1 and Trigger-2 were activated during the 2026 kharif season.
The government had also constituted a state-level task force under the chief secretary to coordinate water conservation efforts amid the possibility of an El Nino impact.
— IANS
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