Chandrapur: With a 30.43% rainfall deficit raising concerns over drinking water availability in the coming months, the Chandrapur district administration has ordered a crackdown on unauthorised water extraction from reservoirs, rivers, lakes, dams, Kolhapuri weirs and canals.Collector Vasumana Pant, who also heads the District Disaster Management Authority, has directed the immediate formation of revenue circle-level flying squads to curb indiscriminate water withdrawal and safeguard available stocks for essential needs.The squads will conduct routine and surprise inspections across the district. Complaints from citizens about illegal extraction will prompt verification at the reported locations. Pumps, motors, pipelines and other equipment used for unauthorised withdrawal will be inspected and seized as part of the enforcement drive.Each squad will be coordinated by a section engineer from the Water Resources Department, Water Conservation Department or Zilla Parishad. A section engineer from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, a revenue circle officer and a police sub-inspector will also be part of the team.The administration has directed the departments concerned to deploy the teams immediately and begin field operations without delay. They must submit reports to the Collector’s office every Monday, detailing inspections, instances of unauthorised extraction detected and action taken.Drinking water gets top priorityThe administration has prioritised protecting available water stocks and ensuring adequate drinking water for residents as the district heads towards the dry months. Enforcement teams will focus on curbing unauthorised withdrawals that could compromise supplies for essential needs.