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Indian authorities ferry drinking water to drought-hit Lathur

Xinhua, April 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

Indian officials Monday started dispatching drinking water to the worst drought-hit western state of Maharashtra.

The first train pulling 10 tankers carrying half a million liters of water has been dispatched from Miraj, the western district of Maharashtra.

"Water train of 10 wagons with 500,000 liters capacity each left Miraj at 11:00 a.m. (local time) today for Latur," a statement issued by Indian Railways said.

The train is likely to reach Latur in the evening after covering a journey of eight hours.

India's Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said the tankers, which usually carry oil products, had been steam cleaned for ferrying drinking water.

Ground water level in Maharashtra's several drought-hit areas have dipped at an alarming level. The worst hit is Latur district, about 470 km east of Mumbai city, the state's capital.

The police officials in the affected areas fearing violence over water have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 (government order) as "precautionary" measure around water sources. The order prohibits assembly of more than four persons in public place.

Authorities said ferrying of water through train will help officials to ensure maximum number of residents get the drinking water.

Local authorities until now had pressed in 2,300 water tankers in the worst-affected Beed, Latur and Osmanabad districts to ferry water.

Reports said water tankers visit affected areas once a week and locals receive tap water once in a month.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while informing people about the water train, wrote on twitter: "more efforts underway".

Two successive poor monsoons have triggered drought in the Maharashtra's Marathwada region, causing scarcity of drinking water and failure of crops.

Officials said dams in the region are left with just 5 percent of water ahead of the summer season.

India's federal government recently said it will send a fact finding team to asses depleting ground water situation in drought hit Latur.

Indian Railways earlier said two trains have been arranged on request from Maharashtra government for the purpose of loading and transporting water to the drought-affected areas of Latur.

According to railway officials the second goods train consisting of 50 wagons after steam-cleaning is expected to be ready for water loading around April 15.

"These two trains will be deployed in Latur during the summer season of the financial year 2016-17," an earlier statement from Indian Railways said. "The trips of the goods trains will be arranged as per the requirement." Endit