Mumbai, June 17 -- With water stock in dams across Maharashtra at just 24.41% and forecasters warning of a weak and delayed monsoon this year, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday directed officials to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply across the state till August next year. "We need to plan use of water in such a way that drinking water is available for people till August next year. This should be among our top priorities," Fadnavis told officials during a cabinet meeting to review the state's water situation, sources said. The directive came days after the state government barred the use of dam water for irrigation, with an eye on conserving drinking water until fresh inflows replenish reservoirs. While the statewide stock of dam water is currently 24.41%, Pune division has the lowest water reserve among all regions, at just 14.54%, significantly lower than the 28.28% around the same time last year. According to officials, Maharashtra received around 10% above-normal rainfall last year and is not currently facing acute shortage, except in a few places, although reservoir levels are declining rapidly. As the monsoon is already delayed and weather forecasts indicate below-normal rainfall, water availability could come under severe stress in the subsequent months, raising the possibility of acute shortages by the end of the summer in 2027, officials said. "Today's directive was aimed at mitigating the impact of the expected rainfall deficit this year," said an official, requesting anonymity....