Solapur district in-charge minister Jayakumar Gore has directed officials to begin tanker-based drinking water supplies within 24 to 48 hours in villages facing shortages, while also ordering urgent arrangements for water and fodder for livestock affected by drought conditions.
Gore issued the instructions during an interaction with residents in Redde village in Mangalwedha taluk. He said tankers must reach every ward, settlement and lane in villages experiencing drinking water scarcity. Officials have also been told to deploy large or small tankers according to road conditions so that difficult-to-reach areas are not left without supplies.
The minister directed the administration to take immediate steps to provide essential water and fodder for cattle. The instructions place village-level access at the centre of the response, with the tanker network expected to serve individual localities rather than only major village points.
Gore said the government was firmly supporting farmers facing hardship because of the drought. According to the statement reported by Prajavani, a comprehensive panchnama, or official assessment of drought-related losses, has been completed. The minister also said steps had been taken to provide farmers with advance financial assistance of ₹5,000 each to help them observe the Deepavali festival.
He said money was already being credited to the bank accounts of lakhs of farmers and that those whose payments remained pending because of technical issues would receive assistance soon. The report did not provide the total amount sanctioned, the number of beneficiaries in Solapur district or a village-wise schedule for the pending payments.
A 24-hour helpline will also be started from the office of the district in-charge minister at Yojana Bhavan in Solapur to address problems raised by farmers and members of the public. The announcement is intended to create a direct channel for complaints and requests relating to drought relief and public services.
Gore further said efforts would be made to provide the funds needed to complete the Mhaisal irrigation project and drinking water schemes covering 24 villages. The report did not specify the amount of additional funding sought, the current completion status of the schemes or a revised deadline for their completion.
The meeting was attended by MLA Samadhan Awtade, district collector S. Karthikeyan and other officials. The immediate next steps announced by the administration are the start of tanker supplies within 24 to 48 hours, arrangements for livestock water and fodder, the launch of the 24-hour helpline and continued processing of pending farmer assistance payments.
