Despite satisfactory rainfall for sowing seeds, the district is still reeling under acute shortage of drinking water, district collector Sanjay Deshmukh said here.

The district has received 10.5 percent of the annual average rainfall till June 27 and it is adequate for carrying out the sowing activities, he said.

The Zari tehsil has received the lowest rainfall in the current monsoon and Babhulgaon, Kalamb and Mahagaon tehsils have recorded less than 50 percent of the average rainfall till June 27 and the remaining 12 tehsils have more than 50 percent rainfall, Deshmukh said.

Since the water storage in all the major, medium and minor projects did not make any improvement in the water storage, the deployment of 227 tankers for supplying drinking water still continues, he said, adding that only the trips of tankers have been reduced as the intake is comparatively less as compared to the summer days.

Regarding the disbursement of crop loan, Deshmukh admitted that the Yavatmal District Central Co-Operative Bank excelled among other financial intermediaries and added that it has achieved 60 percent of its annual target.

The nationalized banks are still lagging behind in sanctioning crop loan to the needy farmers, he said, adding that by September, the district would achieve 80 percent of its target of Rs 720 crore.