Pune, July 28 Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will soon be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek central aid to counter the drought-like situation prevailing in the state, despite the intermittent rains in the last few days. As a first step towards this, divisional commissioners of the six revenue divisions in Maharashtra have been asked to draft assessment and suggestion reports to be forwarded to the chief minister's office by next Monday.

Yogesh Kabirdoss |
Chennai
UNTIL six months ago, Muthamma, an elderly woman, used to cook food using clean water from a well in her house.
No longer. She now approaches her neighbours for clean water as her well has been contaminated with sewage.

Muthamma is the only one in the locality who has a well.

The rest source their water from hand pumps. Fortunately, sewage has not contaminated their water source so far.

The world will experience a growing risk of conflicts over food, energy and water in coming years. The population rises each year by about 80 million people, with most of the increase in impoverished regions already facing environmental stress. Climate change, water scarcity and tighter oil supplies will add to the stresses.

If all the rain that fell in Goa during the year was trapped, the entire state would be flooded with water between seven and 10 feet deep, depending on whether it was a bad or good monsoon. That is the bounty nature has blessed this land with. Yet, today, we have a shortage of drinking water. Our cities get just a few hours of water supply a day, and many of our villages get water only once every alternate day, sometimes even less frequently during the summer. There could not be a contrast more stark.

The Centre has announced that 4.455 million wells will be taken up for recharging groundwater in hard rock areas for the benefit of farmers. The government has asked the states government concern to take necessary steps to implement the decision before monsoon this year. The Artificial Recharge of Ground Water through wells scheme was launched keeping in view the concerns of over exploitation of groundwater resources in the country as well as to ensure sustainable water resource management and irrigation facilities in the affected areas.

The Union Agriculture Ministry has worked out a package for revival of the farm sector in the drought-hit Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on the lines of the Rehabilitation Package for Vidarbha and other drought-prone districts where farmers' suicides were high. Among other measures for relief, the Bundelkhand package suggests a debt relief for farmers in the region. It calls for contingency cropping, diversification and cross-breeding for local cattle that had lost fertility due to lack of minerals and green fodder.

The health officials, investigating contamination of seven wells in Taleigao today indicated that it may be due to mixture of ammonia in ground water. Though the final laboratory report on the water samples of five wells, is expected on Friday, sources in the department indicated that it may be due to mixture of ammonia. Samples of two others were not taken as they are in close proximity with the four. Last week seven wells in Chincholem and four in Borbhat, from Taleigao were reported to be contaminated with dead fish floating over the whitish colour water giving a foul smell.

Saline water entered into 15 wells when a bundh breached near the Corjuem ferry wharf in Aldona. River water also gushed into neighbouring paddy fields and damaged the crops. Bardez Mamlatdar S Narulkar and Mapusa Deputy Collector Mahesh Khorjuveker visited the site to access the damage caused to farmers and villagers due to breaching of the bundh. When contacted, Aldona Sarpanch Vallabh Polle said the bundh got breached as a result of poor maintenance.

THE Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's Golden Jubilee Museum located in Dehra Dun is a big hit with schoolchildren and tourists.