He said he held a meeting with senior officers of the district, adding that the farmers will now be asked to avoid using stolen pump engines for irrigation purposes.

Interestingly, the District Watershed Development Unit (DWDU), which plays an important role in the allocation of water resources in the district, has no clue about the practice of using stolen engines as irrigation pumps. But it admits that motorcycle engines could be used by the farmers as many of them operate monoblock pumps.

DWDU Project Manager M R Gujjar said: “We are unaware of such practices by farmers in Dahod, but motorcycle engines could be clubbed together with monoblock pumps.”

Farmers in Dahod face acute water shortage as many reservoirs have dried up, while there is increased dependence on the rain.

The state as well as the Centre has reportedly launched many schemes to boost up water supply for the tribal-dominated district, but due to its proximity to the border, even schemes launched with the best intention fail due to the highhandedness of local criminals.