Congress' Wadettiwar seeks curbs on coal washeries, temporary halt to new centres amid water crisis in Maharashtra

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar has questioned the Maharashtra governmentrsquos decision to allow waterintensive industries and large construction projects amid a growing water crisis in several parts of the stateWadettiwar demanded action against MLA Sanjay Gaikwad for allegedly making insulting remarks about farmers who died by suicideSpeaking at a press conference in Nagpur on Friday Wadettiwar said several parts of Maharashtra were facing droughtlike conditions with some areas already relying on water tankers in OctoberHe said the available water stock needed to be conserved until June next year but the government was continuing to grant permissions to industries that consume large quantities of waterHe accused the government of focusing on political infighting instead of addressing issues concerning farmers ordinary citizens students the OBC community and the environmentWadettiwar demands action against MLA Sanjay GaikwadWadettiwar said making fun of farmers who died by suicide amounted to an insult to the farming community He questioned why no action had been taken against MLA Sanjay Gaikwad over his alleged remarksldquoDo the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers agree with this position of MLA Gaikwadrdquo he asked demanding that the legislator be suspended from his party for repeatedly making such statementsWadettiwar warned that if no action was taken against Gaikwad the Congress would raise the issue during the December Assembly session and demand actionRaising concerns over water consumption in the construction sector Wadettiwar questioned the permission granted for construction covering 22 lakh square feet in PimpriChinchwadHe asked where the water required for such a large project would come from when several parts of Maharashtra were facing shortages He also questioned whether the permissions had been granted with the governments approval or through alleged financial dealings involving officialsWadettiwar demanded an inquiry into the matter and cancellation of the permissions He said approving large construction projects without assessing water availability would worsen future shortagesRestrictions on water use by coal washeriesWadettiwar also raised concerns over the large quantities of water used by coal washeries in Chandrapur district where farmers are reportedly struggling to access waterHe claimed that processing one tonne of coal required around 1500 litres of water While restrictions were imposed on drawing water from reservoirs for agriculture and a portion of the available stock had to be reserved he questioned how industries were being supplied with such large quantitiesHe demanded immediate controls on water consumption by coal washeries and called on the government to consider shutting them down during drought conditionsCalls for temporary halt to new data centre approvalsWadettiwar said several data centres were being planned in Maharashtra and would require substantial quantities of water Citing available information he claimed that proposed data centres could require around 874 million litres per day MLDHe said granting permissions to new data centres amid an existing water crisis would put further pressure on available resourcesWadettiwar demanded a temporary halt to approvals for new data centres and a separate assessment of their water requirements He said the Congress would write to the government to formally convey its positionAction over irregularities at Yavatmal schoolWadettiwar also demanded action over alleged irregularities in recruitment and the use of fake student identification numbers at Vikas Hindi Vidyalaya run by the Teachers Education Society in Pandharkawada Yavatmal districtHe alleged that teachers and other employees had been recruited without prior government approval and that fake student IDs had been created to obtain salary payments and arrears from the governmentComplaints had also alleged that a person holding a BJP office had used the positions of institution head and school head to carry out appointments secure salary approvals maintain service records and handle financial transactionsWadettiwar said an order had been issued for a Special Investigation Team SIT probe but no concrete action had been taken against those responsible He demanded that the government act on the matterConcerns over forest clearance in Raigad and AjantaWadettiwar alleged that largescale tree felling was taking place in Maharashtra and raised concerns over proposed projects in Raigad and the Ajanta region of Chhatrapati SambhajinagarHe claimed that around 15000 trees could be cut for a proposed 1500 MW Adani power project in Raigad He also alleged that land had been allotted for the project without taking local villagers and trustees into confidenceDescribing the Sahyadri mountain range as a natural shield for Maharashtra he said its forests played an important role in maintaining ecological balance and protecting wildlife habitats He urged the government not to destroy the states natural resources for the benefit of industrialistsHe also warned that a proposed project near Ajanta could threaten an area of historical and environmental importance Wadettiwar said decisions on such projects should take into account their environmental impact and the consent of local residentsOBC quota in local body electionsWadettiwar questioned the governments position on holding local body elections while the issue of OBC reservation remained unresolvedHe said the Maharashtra government had earlier maintained that elections would not be held without OBC reservation and asked how polls could now proceed while the matter was still pendingHe warned that holding local body elections without OBC reservation could affect the communitys representation across thousands of seatsWadettiwar demanded that the government conduct the elections by taking the 27 per cent OBC reservation into account and ensure justice for the community