India, Sept. 24 -- Marathwada accounts for nearly 45% of the tankers deployed for drinking water supply across Maharashtra, with the region continuing to depend heavily on tanker-based water supply despite the monsoon.

According to the latest tanker supply report issued by the state government for the period from September 14 to 20, a total of 479 tankers were supplying drinking water to 418 villages and 1,568 hamlets across Maharashtra. Of these, 214 tankers were operating in Marathwada alone, accounting for 44.7% of the state's total deployment.

Marathwada - comprising Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani, Hingoli, Nanded, Dharashiv and Latur districts - currently has 211 private tankers and three government tankers supply...