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Water express arrives in Latur; Netas, babus and NGOs scramble to clamber on

The late Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh's family bastion for several decades, has been in the headlines ever since the district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Sec 144 of the IPC fearing water riots a fortnight ago.

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BJP leaders stand in front of the water train that reached Latur in the wee hours of Tuesday
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At the crack of dawn (4.42 am) the first sortie of the water express which had set out from Miraj with ten wagons, each carrying 50,000 litres of water, reached the parched town of Latur in Marathwada.

The late Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh's family bastion for several decades, has been in the headlines ever since the district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Sec 144 of the IPC fearing water riots a fortnight ago. While rural areas in Latur district too are reeling under the worst drought of the century, many experts say, Latur city's nearly half-a-century old pipeline system coupled with poor management leakages and theft is the real reason, five lakh people thirsty.

Given that the train had set out at 11 am on Monday from Miraj, many Latur residents were hoping the train will complete the 350 km journey by evening. “We were first told the train will be here by 7 pm, then 8.30 pm, then 10.30 pm and finally at midnight,” water rights activist and retired hydrological engineer Amol Gowande who was waiting at the station told dna.

Latur station master BK Tiwari blamed the delay on the agitation by protestors from the two parched tehsils in Sangli who were insisting that the train decant part of its consignment in their area before proceeding to Latur. “Given the sensitive nature of the issue, the train was halted midway and additional security was given by police before the train continued its journey.”

Prahlad Wakde of Kurudwadi loco-shed who drove the water express told dna that the delay was due to the inclusion of this unscheduled special train on a busy Monday along the Solapur Hyderabad sector. “We have a single line. Every time a passenger train came by this one was shunted to a sidetrack. Why else would a mere 300 km take 18 hours?”

Collector Pandurang Pole told dna that this was only a trial run for the water express to estimate the total time taken for filling, transport and decantation. “Now its only a 10-wagon train but we will soon have a 50-wagon water express bearing 25 lakh litres of water every two days,” he said thanking the Railways. “I am thankful to the Railway Ministry which took up my request for providing us with the water express.”

But the collector has plenty of competition claiming credit. While the Latur Sukanu Committee on Water – a civic rights activism front - claimed it spearheaded the agitation demanding water wagons and were present for a photo-op with the train, the local BJP contingent turned up in significant numbers with a banner, bandanas and scarves claiming credit. “It is efforts of our BJP CM Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister in the Narendra Modi-government, Suresh Prabhu that has led to the first water train arriving in Latur,” underlined Latur district BJP chief Suresh Lahoti who added, “The Congress leadership of the state came from here for 10 years and yet look at how they have not even been able to give the city something as basic as adequate drinking water.”

Mayor of the Latur Municipal Corporation Akhtar Shaikh of the Congress who was also present with a smaller and quieter posse of followers told dna: “Some parties like the BJP want credit, but the Congress is only interested in providing water to the citizens of Latur.” He recounted his meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee two months ago. “We don't like to shout from the rooftop like our rivals, but it is well-known that that meeting started the chain of events which led to the water express coming to Latur.”

All's not well

The well, located near the railway tracks, belongs like most things Latur, to the Deshmukh family. A special water pipe has been laid till the 70 ft deep well with 32 ft diameter mouth for the 25 lakh litres of water which will arrive by the subsequent 50 wagon trains. While the revenue department headed by Collector Pandurang Pole is confident that it can hold all the water which will then be pumped up into road tankers, ferried to filtration plants and dispatched onwards to residential areas, many of the water resource department officials admit on condition of anonymity that the well will brim over if the tankers ferrying water get delayed. “This will lead to spillage and wastage which seems criminal at this point of time,” say officials

Money like water

Depending on who you talk to, the cost per litre of the water which will finally reach Latur residents can be very different. Some like the water resource department officials claim that from the point it is lifted in Miraj to being decanted into the well at Latur station, it costs Rs 2.25 per litre. “Transport, filtration and further transport to local neighbourhoods will raise costs,” admits an officer.

Many engineers in the civic water supply department place the cost at Rs 3.75-3.80 per litre. “This is more expensive than the rate at which one of the richest civic bodies like Mumbai provides water to its citizens,” he pointed out.

Latur collector Pandurang Pole refused to cite a figure. “We are now only concerned with slaking the thirst of people and haven't worked out the exact cost. This is not the right time for that,” he said brushing off questions on sustainability of the water express.

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