Water scarcity issue: PM Modi calls meeting with Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra

New Delhi: As the country is reeling under a major water crisis situation, compelling many farmers to commit suicide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka for a detailed discussion over the matter.

The meeting has been called tomorrow, i.e. Saturday, ANI reported on Friday.

Meanwhile, light to moderate rains brought down temperatures at isolated places in Uttar Pradesh, bringing some respite from the scorching heat.

Jhansi recorded the maximum temperature in the state at 41.2 degrees Celsius.

Light to moderate rains and thundershowers occurred at isolated areas. Heavy rains and thundershower also occurred at isolated places in western UP.

The downpour also occurred at many places over Telangana, Kerala, south interior Karnataka and at a few places over Andhra Pradesh and north interior Karnataka. Isolated rainfall occurred over Tamil Nadu. However, dry weather prevailed over Coastal Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

On the contrary, as per the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni, Maharashtra needs an integrated drought relief policy and a separate department if the state government is serious about tackling the water scarcity issue.

"Maharashtra is reeling under the darkness of drought. This is more specific to Marathwada which has become the hotbed of distressed farmers dealing with the burgeoning water scarcity, unpredictable rains and cyclical crop failures," Kulkarni had told reporters after presenting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis a report at the Secretariat here yesterday on drought in Marathwada.

"All this has led to the collapse of the existing economic and social structure of the region. Several reasons and corresponding solutions for tackling the drought have been discussed year after year by successive governments, but mostly in isolation," he had said.

The need for this policy and a holistic approach has been brought out in the research report compiled by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) Mumbai.

(With Agency inputs)