Railways on Friday withdrew the Rs 4-crore water bill it had sent to Latur district, reported PTI. The Centre had sent the drought-hit district water trains carrying up to six crore litres of water since April 12. Union minister Suresh Prabhu, who holds the charge of the ministry, said that operational expenses will not be a factor stopping water trains to the parched district. He asked officials to continue sending trains loaded with water to the drought-hit region till the crisis ends, according to a statement released by the ministry.

The ministry has transported around 6 crore litres of water to the district in the past one month. The Railways had sent a Rs 4-crore bill to the district administration after they approached the ministry seeking information on cost of operation in transporting the water. The Maharashtra government on Thursday declared drought in 29,000 villages, mostly in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions.

The Supreme Court has strongly indicted the Centre for water shortages in nearly a third of India following a plea filed to seek relief for 50 crore people affected by the severe drought.