The train was supposed go with 50 special wagons, carrying 5 lakh litres of water from Ujani Dam
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has appealed to Delhi'ites to save water for the people in Maharashtra's Latur, which is facing an unprecedented water scarcity this summer.
Mr Kejriwal had discussed the drought issue with Water Minister Kapil Mishra, who said Delhi Jal Board is ready to send water to the parched district. Later, the Chief Minister tweeted:
In response, Mr Mishra tweeted:
A water train started running today for Latur, but it is yet to reach and is carrying a smaller supply than planned.
The train was supposed go with 50 special wagons, carrying 5 lakh litres of water from Ujani Dam. It was to set off from Miraj, 300 km away from Latur - a journey of 6-odd hours.
Workers fill water in Central Railway train tanks to transport to drought affected Latur District from Miraj station near Sangli on Sunday.
But after a 1.5-hour journey, the train got stuck at the Sangola station in Solapur district. Sources said the train is delaying because the facilities to store the water are not yet ready. The water is expected to be transferred into a tank adjacent to the railway station and then sent to a treatment plant before it is distributed to the people.
"I hope that it will reach today night," said Sukhakar Telang, Municipal commissioner of Latur. It will not entirely solve the problem, but will help for the next 8 to 10 days till a pipeline that is being laid, is completed, he added.
Another train with 50 wagons of water is expected to be ready on Friday, a railway official has said.
Marathwada is facing one of its worst droughts in nearly a century, with 7 of its 11 major dams going dry. The people are travelling miles to fetch water.
In Latur city, which has a population of 5 lakh, healthcare has been affected as hospitals have been forced to delay or postpone operations due to the water shortage.