CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR : Water scarcity is a major problem in Latur and elected representatives must take all efforts to come up with a solution, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.
He was speaking at an event in Ahmedpur for inauguration and launching of nine projects in Dharashiv and Latur districts.
These comprise six highway projects costing Rs 3,946 crore in Latur and three costing Rs 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 fertiliser 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 said.
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 was now 510 kilometres, he said.
Thirteen works costing Rs 7,520 crore had been completed in the district, while four with a length of 90 kilometres was underway, he said.