19 districts in Rajasthan are drought-affected

Rajasthan is in the grip of a water crisis with 19 out of the 33 districts being affected by drought. The government has sending water trains to parched Bhilwara and tankers to other areas facing the acute shortage.

Nearly 17000 out of the total 44672 villages are facing water crisis in the state and transportation of water through rail in Bhilwara has already been started by the state public health and engineering department."We have already allocated Rs.50 lakh to each district to improve water supply. Water is being transported from Nasirabad to Bhilwara and other parts of the state through tankers." Public Health Engineering Department  (PHED) Minister Kiran Maheshwari told PTI.

She further added that 90 percent of the water-related schemes in the state are dependent on ground water. But with the groundwater table going down surface water is also being used now. Moreover, handpumps across the state are also being repaired. Meanwhile, alternate arrangements are being made. 

PCC President and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded an emergency plan to meet the challenge and to provide relief to people facing water crisis in the state."The government should ensure water supply through tankers. The government has not started its relief work yet which should have been started by now," Gehlot told reporters.