Water wars: Prohibitory orders in Maharashtra's Latur town to avoid violence over water

Authorities in drought-hit Latur have imposed an order prohibiting the gathering of more than five persons in areas around 20 water storage tanks until May 31, to avoid any possible violence over water.

The District Collector has issued the direction under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code as a preventive measure to tackle possible violence over water around the Latur civic body-run tanks, an official said.

The official said the notified places include all tanker-filling points, public wells, tanker-plying routes and storage tanks in the district.

Meanwhile, state Congress president and former chief minister​ Ashok Chavan said, "If there is no drinking water for 40-45 days, it is natural that the situation will become explosive. If the government had helped the people, such a situation wouldn't have risen." 

Sec-144 imposed in 6 areas of Latur(Maharashtra) as a precautionary measure to maintain law &order amid water crisis pic.twitter.com/suE0jE1jgi

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 20, 2016