Sharad Pawar writes to Shinde, seeks meet to address drought-like situation in Pune tehsils

Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seeking a meeting to address the drought-like situation in Purandar, Baramati, Indapur and Daund tehsils of Pune district.

In the letter, which he posted on a micro blogging site, Pawar said the state government had undertaken irrigation schemes in this region to mitigate the drought-like situation but problems were found in their implementation when he visited some of these areas recently.

In the dialogue with the public during these visits, the villagers also suggested some measures along with demands to solve the problem of agriculture and drinking water, he said in the letter.

"There is a need to take permanent measures to overcome the traditional drought situation in the above talukas of Pune district. For this, we request you to organize a meeting in Mumbai under your leadership and in the presence of the two Deputy Chief Ministers of the state as well as the Minister of Soil and Water Conservation and the Minister of Water Supply," Pawar said.

Pawar, who had visited several drought-prone villages in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency and interacted with the farmers last week, will be touring more villages on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, his party functionaries said.