Water scarcity is a major problem in Latur, and elected representatives must make every effort to come up with a solution, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.
He was speaking at an event in Ahmedpur for the inauguration and launching of nine projects in Dharashiv and Latur districts. These comprise six highway projects costing ₹3,946 crore in Latur and three costing ₹122 crore in Dharashiv.
"Water scarcity is a key problem of Latur. Elected representatives must take up issues related to it on priority. While coming here, I saw a river that had gone completely dry. If embankments or small weirs were made with empty fertilizer bags, it would have supplied water all day to nearby wells," he pointed out.
Latur is known for its soybean cultivation, and good roads will help farmers take the produce to markets easily, he added.
The projects that were inaugurated include the four-laning of Chakur-Ausa and Chakur-Loha sections.
The length of the national highway in Latur was 124 kilometres till 2014, while it is now 510 kilometres, the Union Minister said.
13 works costing ₹7,520 crore have been completed in the district, while four with a length of 90 kilometers are underway, he added.
