New Delhi, Sep 27 (PTI) With the Maharashtra government declaring a drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, the Congress on Sunday raised questions over the policy of aggressively expanding the data-centre industry and asked what is the plan to ensure that the state’s water resources are not diverted away from farmers and ordinary citizens to fuel this expansion.
The Maharashtra government on Saturday declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.
Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has officially declared drought in 265 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas – nearly 75% of the state, and this is happening as Maharashtra aggressively expands its data-centre industry.
The state has attracted over USD 300 billion in investment interest for data centres and is targeting 5.7 GW of data-centre capacity by 2032, he pointed out on X.
“Data centres require two critical resources: power and water. The amount of water they consume depends on the cooling technology used, but water requirement is an important consideration, particularly in water-stressed regions like Maharashtra,” Khera said.
The government is reportedly planning a system where municipal corporations treat sewage, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) further purifies it, and the reclaimed water is then sold to data centres and other industries, he said.
“But few crucial questions arise: When nearly three-fourths of Maharashtra is officially under drought, what is the government’s plan to ensure that the state’s water resources are not diverted away from farmers and ordinary citizens to fuel this massive data-centre expansion?” Khera said.
In a state like Maharashtra, which has one of India’s highest farmer-suicide rates, who has the first right over water – farmers or data centres, he asked.
“And if the state is prepared to set up a network to treat sewage and reclaim water for industry, why has no such urgency been shown in providing reliable reclaimed water for farmers – which could help reduce the distress driving farmer suicides?” the Congress leader said.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued late on Friday, 265 talukas spread across 32 districts cover 74 per cent of the state. At 74, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of drought-affected talukas.
Another government order issued on Saturday said that a separate GR will be issued on financial assistance for crop losses suffered by farmers in the 265 talukas after the prescribed procedure.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed district collectors to initiate crop-damage assessments immediately and assured that farmers remain the centre of the government’s relief efforts. PTI ASK DV
DV
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.