The parched landscape of Maharashtra paints a grim picture as the state faces the brunt of an early onset of drought conditions in November. With a 20% plunge in water storage in dams compared to the previous year, over 1,200 villages find themselves reliant on water tanker supplies due to significantly reduced rainfall.
This year’s diminished rainfall has expedited the impact of drought, leading the state government to declare drought conditions in various regions. Initially affecting 40 talukas, the crisis expanded to 954 revenue boards in a recent cabinet sub-committee meeting. However, a government order issued on November 10 further widened the scope to 1,021 revenue circles, adding 67 more revenue boards to the list of affected areas.
Presently, 1,245 villages and settlements in the state depend on water tanker supplies for drinking water. This starkly contrasts with the same period last year when no village faced such water scarcity. With the conclusion of the monsoon season, water shortages have become evident, and projections indicate that the number of affected villages may rise.
In response to the crisis, the state government has implemented several measures, including the waiver of examination fees for school and college students in drought-affected talukas and revenue boards. Additional relief measures encompass discounts in land revenue, a moratorium on the recovery of agricultural loans, and a 33.5% discount in current electricity payments for agricultural pumps. Farmers in declared shortage-hit villages have been instructed not to disconnect electricity connections for their agricultural pumps.
The current water storage in 2,994 small, medium, and large dams across the state stands at 70.28%. In comparison, at the same time last year, it was a significantly higher 90.34%. Particularly hard-hit is Marathwada, experiencing a drastic decline in water storage to 37.49% from last year’s 90.09%—a staggering decrease of about 53%. This situation underscores the pressing need for concerted efforts to address water scarcity and support communities grappling with the impact of drought.
