Only 17% water stock left in Maharashtra

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The water crisis in Maharashtra, which is in the grip of a drought, has deepened with only 17 per cent stock left in around 2,500 dams and reservoirs across the state. Of the 11 major irrigation dams, seven have no water left in them. In Marathwada, where the situation is alarming, only three per cent of water stock is available in 814 major, medium and minor irrigation projects.

The seven major irrigation dams of Marathwada where water stock is zero are Jayakwadi, Purna Siddheshwar, Majalgaon, Manjra, Lower Terna, Mannar and Sina Kolegaon located in Aurangabad, Parbhani, Beed, Nanded and Osmanabad districts. This apart, the Purna Yeldari dam in the region has two per cent water left, Upper Penganga 10 per cent, Vishnupuri seven per cent and Lower Dudhana 18 per cent.

Read more from our special coverage on "DROUGHT"

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• Odisha govt moves to mitigate drinking water scarcity
• Karnataka faces worst drought in 40 years
• Gujarat water crisis: Dams and reservoirs go dry as state races against time
• Irrigated winter crop in Bengal has taken a hit

The 75 minor irrigation dams in Marathwada have only four per cent water left and 728 minor irrigation projects have three per cent.

The state government has deployed 4,640 tankers in 3,586 villages and 5,993 hamlets for supply of drinking water.

The Maharashtra water supply department reckons that the state’s stock will cover one-and-a-half months. If the monsoon does not arrive by June 10 the situation will worsen.

Fearing water riots, the Latur district administration has prohibited assembly of more than five people around wells and water filling points. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis says over seven million litres of water has been delivered by train to Latur.

Municipal agencies in Mumbai, Thane, Aurangabad, Pune and a couple of other towns have imposed water cuts ranging from 20 per cent to 50 per cent. Industrial units in these cities have been affected by the cuts and some have suspended operations. Industries Minister Subhash Desai has said the government might enact a law making use of recycled water mandatory by industries.

The government has sanctioned Rs 750 crore for water distribution, of which Rs 500 crore has been provided to district collectors. This money will be used for providing water tankers, changing old pipelines and burnt pumps and fixing leaks in water tanks, says Irrigation Minister Babanrao Lonikar.

According to the Groundwater Survey and Development Agency, in March 2016 the groundwater level fell around three metres more than the five-year average in 25 of 27 taluks in Marathwada.  In Latur, Jalkot Taluk recorded the deepest level fall at 7.7 metres deeper than the five-year average. There are over 90,000 borewells in the district. Most of the 600-odd tankers in Latur use groundwater,” says Parineeta Dandekar,  associate coordinator at the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, a non-profit organisation.

The state government has banned digging of borewells below 200 ft. The decision came close on the heels of a cut in water supply to industrial units, including breweries, in 13 districts of Maharashtra. Lonikar says any violation will invite action under the Maharashtra Groundwater Development and Management Act.

Water conservationist Rajendra Singh, who has been touring the affected districts of Marathwada, asks, “If a government can have its own reserve police, why can’t it have reserve water supply?” He claims the water crisis has been triggered by over-exploitation of groundwater.