Tulshi villagers protest water crisis with ‘Village for Sale’ banner

Approximately 7,000 residents of Tulshi village in the Solapur district of Maharashtra have launched a symbolic protest against a prolonged water crisis by displaying a banner that reads ‘Village for Sale, Price: Water’.

Villagers report that the crisis is driven by 800 metres of incomplete excavation work under the Sina-Madha Lift Irrigation Scheme, a project that has remained unfinished for 26 years. Despite the scheme's canals passing near the village, residents claim they receive no benefit, leaving them entirely dependent on water tankers. The shortage has severely impacted local agriculture and animal husbandry, and residents noted that inadequate monsoon rainfall has worsened the situation.

Tulshi sarpanch Sharad More stated that completing the excavation near the seventh and eighth outlets of the scheme could provide a permanent solution. Previous protest actions by the community included a hunger strike on September 14 and a ‘thali-naad’ protest involving the beating of utensils outside the Madha tehsil office. Residents have warned of intensified agitation if the government does not address the infrastructure failure.