Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said Maharashtra’s water storage is lower than last year, stressing the need for careful water management to avoid any drinking water shortage until the monsoon improves. The concern comes months after the government had already begun preparations for a possible rainfall deficit.

In April, taking lessons from the impact of previous El Nino years, Fadnavis had chaired a high-level meeting in Mumbai and directed officials to start early measures to minimise damage from below-normal rainfall, as forecast by weather experts.