PUNE: As many as 3,184 villages and 7,650 hamlets are facing severe water shortage in the state, according to the latest report generated by the state government.

About 3,793 tankers are currently supplying drinking water to these villages and hamlets periodically. Most of these villages and hamlets are from eastern part of western Maharashtra and Marathwada.

Loans Clubbed To Seek Benefit

Pune: The reaudited report of the National Bank for Rural and Agricultural Development (Nabard) on the Rs 52,000-crore agriculturaldebt waiver and debt relief scheme (2008), shows that loan amounts of about 3,000 farmers from Kolhapur, who owed Rs 2 lakh each, were waived when the ceiling was set at Rs 1 lakh per farmer. The cumulative amount of such non-eligible farmers stood at Rs 58 crore.

PUNE: About 17.46 lakh rural population of Pune division is facing severe water scarcity and most of them are dependent on tankers for drinking water supply, said a senior officer from the divisional commissionerate.

The revised report on water scarcity in villages and hamlets stated that 865 villages and 3,823 hamlets in the division are facing severe water crisis. The available sources have dried up and people have to depend on water supplied by the government.

PUNE: The Dhule-based solar power plant which is expected to generate 150 MW power is likely to be made operational from March 20 this year. The first phase would add 50 MW power to the state grid, said government officials.

The solar panels spread over 350 hectares of barren land will have 'thin film' and 'crystalline' technology based photovoltaic cells. The aim is to maximize the output from the solar panels. The efficiency of the power panels is 20% of the total heat absorption. The project was delayed by one year because of the dispute between the state revenue and forest department. Later the dispute was resolved and the project was cleared.

Total Contribution Would Be Close To 150 Crore

Pune: The state cooperation department has decided to raise funds for people in the water scarcity-hit areas from cooperative banks and credit societies. The total contribution would be close to Rs 150 crore, said officials from the state cooperation department. Last week, state cooperation minister Harshvardhan Patil had made an announcement that funds will be raised for the scarcity hit areas. In the backdrop of the announcement, the cooperative department has come up with a fund raising plan.

PUNE: The number of villages and hamlets in the state facing water and fodder scarcity has increased by 850 after the first week of February.

In the first week of February, 5,294 villages and hamlets were facing severe water scarcity. The number has now increased to 6,153. The number of tankers supplying drinking water to villages and hamlets has also increased from 1,730 in the first week of February to 2,136 by the first week of March, said a senior revenue officer.

PUNE: The state government has drafted a plan to produce 80,000 quintal seeds for coming monsoon. The state cabinet has cleared the plan and the instructions have been issued to regional offices.

The seeds of jowar, bajra, rice, wheat other cereals and oily seeds are part of the project. The farmers, who would join the programme and produce seeds at their farm will get assured purchase price of Rs 500 per quintal. The state has so far sanctioned Rs 4 crore for it.

Pune: The shortcomings in the technology used by rose growers to set up polyhouses have cost them dearly this year. About 400 polyhouse owners in Talegaon Dabhade industrial area, who use naturally ventilated polyhouse technology for rose cultivation, have suffered as warmer climate in December advanced the maturity cycle of the roses. The buds bloomed before attaining maturity, thereby reducing the flower size.

Roses specially grown in polyhouses for Valentine’s Day celebrations were affected and farmers were forced to export the buds almost a week in advance. The small flower size means lower income for the farmers.

Pune:The World Bank will assist the state government in spreading awareness among the rural population about judicious use of water and its conservation.

The Union government’s integrated watershed development programme is active in the state since 2010. Now, the World Bank will work with the state to bring about a change in the mindset of local people who want works to be done under the watershed development programme but are not very keen in carrying out conservation activities of soil and water, said state agriculture commissioner Umakant Dangat.

Pune: A 150 MW solar power plant will be commissioned in the state by end of March this year. The Rs 1,600 crore plant is coming up near Nizampur village in Dhule district, around 330 km from here.

Dhule, in north Maharashtra, is known for dry land, bright sunlight and high solar radiation, mainly because its proximity to the tropic of cancer. V S Patil, executive director (solar power generation) of the Maharashtra state power generation company ltd (MSPGCL), said that “The Dhule plant would be the first solar power project that will be connected to the national grid.”