Shahapur, the largest taluka in Thane district, is parched. But a poor monsoon is alone not to blame for it. Sixty-one percent of water supply and distribution schemes for several talukas of the district, approved by the Thane zilla parishad (ZP) in the last 10 years, are still in limbo. A majority of them has allegedly been scuttled by crooked contractors and government officials.

Crunch time: A number of villages in Thane district are dependent on groundwater or tankers. PIC FOR REPRESENTATION