The issue of sharing of water and imbalanced development is creating unease in different parts of Maharashtra at a time when neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has virtually become a “disturbed state” on the issue of Telangana.
Tension between Marathwada and western Maharas-htra is clearly perceptible on the issue of water-sharing. Polit-ical and non-political leaders from the Mara-thawada region blame western Maharashtra for depriving the region of getting water as per the decision.
This is affecting water supply for drinking and irrigation purposes in Aurangabad, Jalna and other towns in the region which was part of the erstwhile Nizam state of Hyderabad. This is because water is not being released to Jaikawadi reservoir from Ahmednagar and Nashik districts.
As per the reports, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said people of Marathwada have been asking for their rightful claim on water and not praying for mercy or charity.
Former MP and the Congress leader Uttamsingh Pawar on Friday told this newspaper that some leaders of his own Congress and the NCP, including ministers in Ahmednagar, Nashik and Pune, are playing games with the people of Marathwada on the water-sharing issue.
A few days back, Vidarbha leaders criticised western Maharashtra at a press conference in New Delhi for exploiting the natural resources of the Vidarbha region. They had even said that Maharashtra has not been confined to Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nashik cities while alleging that those who have been ruling the state, directly or indirectly, since 1960 have been ignoring other regions in the state.
The demand of a separate Vidarbha state is gaining ground with the Congress, BJP and the NCP backing it for different reasons.
But Marathwada cannot become a viable state for the simple reason that it lacks natural resources and thus cannot sustain itself.
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/sreeram-chaulia-393
