Jyotiraditya Scindia said several pre-emptive steps could be taken to minimise the impact of droughts.
The
Congress today took on Water Minister
Uma Bharti's statement,
made in an interview to NDTV, saying that it was pointless to plan for droughts.
Senior Congress leader and lawmaker from
Madhya PradeshJyotiraditya Scindia told NDTV said it was the "most absurd statement" he has ever heard.
Countering Ms Bharti's statement, Mr Scindia said that ground water bodies can be recharged and construction of water bodies can be planned in advance that can help mitigate the impact of low rainfall leading to drought.
Uma Bharti had said that water was the Centre has given all possible help to states facing drought.
He also accused the current government at the Centre of cutting down budgetary allocations to the Panchayati Raj ministry to Rs 100 crore and shrinking the employment guarantee programme
NREGA which has a provision of providing extra days of employment to drought-hit areas.
Ms Bharti had blamed corruption in
Maharashtra's last Congress-NCP government's irrigation schemes for the state's water crisis. She said the previous government had emptied the coffers and that she will expose this at the "appropriate time".
Mr Scindia, however, said that these issues should be kept separate and to minimise the impact of drought, the government should do the best that it can.