Mumbai, Oct 25 (PTI) Senior NCP leader Dhananjay Munde Thursday accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of "lying" about the Jalyukt Shivar scheme and sought an apology.
Addressing reporters here, Munde, Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, claimed the scheme was implemented unscientifically and contracts were awarded to contractors close to those in power.
The micro-irrigation scheme involves deepening and widening of streams, construction of cement and earthen stop dams and digging of farm ponds.
Munde said according to the findings of Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency (GSDA), Maharashtra's groundwater levels had gone down by over one metre in 252 talukas and 14,000 villages, despite good rainfall last year.
"This means the scheme has failed. The Chief Minister should take responsibility for this failure and apologise to people for lying about its success," Munde said, adding that the CM should give details of Rs 7,500 crore spent on the scheme.
Fadnavis had Tuesday trashed the opposition's claims on the water conservation scheme and said the state had received insufficient rainfall in the last three years.
"This scheme means there should be water (for conservation) even if there is less rain. It does not mean there will be water if there are no rains," he had said.
The chief minister said that last year the state received 80 per cent of its average rainfall, despite which farm productivity increased.
"There was less water for three continuous years, so we are using that water in the ground for farming. Therefore, agricultural produce increased by 27 per cent.
"Since there has been insufficient rains, we have used the water (conserved) through Jalyukt Shivar (for farm purposes) and hence storage is bound to go down," Fadnavis had said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)