India, Oct. 14 -- Maharashtra has seen an 86.6% rise in water tanker deployment over the past month, with the number of villages requiring emergency water supplies increasing by more than 75%, according to the state drinking water and sanitation department.

As many as 768 tankers are currently deployed across the state, compared with 411 on September 13. The number of villages needing tanker supplies in the state has risen to 635 from 362 in the same period, reflecting worsening water scarcity in rural areas.

Five districts account for most tanker deployments, with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar reporting 169 tankers, Beed 166, Ahilyanagar 161, Solapur 123 and Jalna 29, according to department officials.

The highest number of villages depen...