Work's killing for the poor, but the rich are making a killing

A top official in the Aurangabad zilla parishad told TOI, "Private machines are hired by the government for drought relief work. Though there is a tendering system in place to hire machines and water tankers, all the machinery belongs to politicians and rich citizens. Many of them have purchased new machines considering the demand."
Recently, state water resources minister Girish Mahajan had stated that besides taking excavators on rent from private owners, the government had purchased its own machinery worth Rs 85 crore for drought works.
Then there are wealthy sugar barons who have converted their sugarcane transporting trucks and lorries into temporary water tankers. "The cane crushing season is over, so the idle trucks now serve as water tankers. These tankers are hired by the zilla parishad and the panchayat samitis. We also provide water to individuals on demand. We make more money through water supply than through transporting cane," said one Sachin Kale from Gevrai in Beed.
Selling bottled "mineral" water is another money-making avenue. Several new local brands have flooded the market in the last couple of months, and the water quality in most is questionable.
Ramakant Kale, a villager from Gevrai, said, "People coming to Marathwada, and particularly Latur, do not drink local water as they doubt the source. Hence, many so-called mineral water plants are now operating here." Asked from where the plants get the water, Kale said, "There is lot of water available for those who have money."
But bottled water is certainly not affordable for the poor villagers in Marathwada. They buy drinking water from land-owners who have dug borewells. Several people owning huge tracts of land have dug a series of borewells in Marathwada and are selling drinking water.
Though the government claims it has acquired almost all borewells, a land-owner from Bhuisamudraga village in Latur sells water in a small vessel for Rs 2. "The only borewell in the village is going dry. We are left with no option but to buy drinking water and we often cannot even afford that Rs 2 for the water. We are farm labourers and have had no work since the last three months," said one Balaji Survase.
Likewise, some shopkeepers in Gevrai vend cold water near a bus stop. Depending upon the size of the glass, they charge between Rs 2 and Rs 5. They get water from villagers like Rameshwar Waghmare, who cycles miles every day scouting for water. Once he finds a source, Waghmare fills the water and sells six cans, each with a capacity of five litres, to roadside tea and snack shops for Rs 30. He supplies water four or five times a day to these shops and makes more than Rs 100.
Meanwhile, Muktabai and other women engaged in breaking stones blame the government for their plight. "The government says that lot of work schemes have been started for the drought-affected people. But we can see no work coming our way," said Shobha Kale, another stone breaker.
In the remote Rohina village, Kantabai Parkhi (55) too waits for work. The district agriculture department has sanctioned the work of building bunds in the arid farmlands. However, the officials concerned have not even paid a visit to these fields. On the government's records, though, drought relief work is going on but Kantabai is still waiting for some.