Tulshi village up for ‘sale’ in Maharashtra:350 boys remain unmarried due to water crisis; 265 tehsils declared drought-affected across state

Residents of Tulshi village in Maharashtra’s Solapur district have put up a board saying they want to sell the village because of a water shortage. The board says the only price is water and asks, “How long should we continue to suffer this injustice?” The village has a population of around 7,000 and has depended on water tankers for years because of an incomplete irrigation project. Residents claim canals pass near the village, but they still do not receive water. This year’s low rainfall has worsened the crisis. The sarpanch claimed around 350 young men in the village are unable to get married because of the water shortage. On September 26, the Maharashtra government declared a drought in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas and announced a relief package. Excavation work incomplete for 26 years More had earlier said that excavation work covering around 800 metres near the seventh and eighth outlets of the Sina-Madha scheme had remained incomplete for 26 years. He had said that completing the work could permanently resolve Tulshi’s water shortage. According to villagers, the village is already dependent on water tankers. The water shortage has become more severe this monsoon because of inadequate rainfall. Warning to intensify agitation after protest Villagers began a hunger strike on 14 September, demanding water. They then staged a protest outside the Madha tehsil office by beating plates and utensils, known as thali-naad. The villagers have warned that they will intensify the agitation if the problem is not resolved. More said, “The ‘village for sale’ signboard is a symbolic protest to draw the government’s attention to our water problem. Our agitation will continue until we get water.” Jal Jeevan Mission remains ineffective Villagers said the work had been carried out under the Jal Jeevan Mission. However, the scheme has not been effective because the local water sources have dried up. All 14 ponds and wells in Tulshi have dried up completely. Villagers say that filling them could significantly reduce the shortage of drinking and irrigation water. According to the villagers, a proposal and estimate for this have already been prepared. Water shortage affects farming and animal husbandry Most people in Tulshi are involved in farming and animal husbandry. The water crisis has adversely affected their livelihoods. According to the villagers, the crisis has also affected people’s personal lives. Around 350 young men in the village have been unable to get married. More claimed that no family was willing to give their daughters in marriage to them. No solution despite announcements of schemes Villagers said they had submitted memoranda to the administration and held protests several times. Despite this, the water problem has not been permanently resolved. In 2024, the Krishna Valley Development Corporation approved supplying water to Tulshi and nearby drought-hit villages through the Sina-Madha Lift Irrigation Scheme. These villages also include Bavi, Paritewadi, Kurdu, Pimpalkhunte, Ambad and Anjangaon. Instructions were also issued to submit the third revised administrative approval for the scheme. Plan to supply water through a closed pipeline In January this year, it was announced that ₹90 lakh would be sanctioned in 2025-26 to supply water through a closed pipeline from the Sina-Madha Scheme to Tulshi’s Bhawani Percolation Tank. According to the announcement, this work would help meet the village’s drinking water and irrigation needs. More said he had learnt that some funds had been sanctioned by the DPDC for the closed pipeline. However, no concrete action has been taken so far.