Maharashtra's farmers thirst for a trickle of hope amid water crisis

After a laborious day on the farm, Bhagwannathu Bhagat was on his way back home to Rajuri village in Purandar tehsil last year when he met with an accident that paralysed him due to a spinal injury. The mishap rendered him unemployable as he lost strength in his limbs.

Bhagat, who used to earn Rs 200 per day, has been confined to a hastily assembled makeshift tent outside his home for the past 12 months. His mobility has been impaired, and he is unable to walk, climb stairs, or even lift himself.

As a result, his brother Kundalik Bhagat finds himself in a tight spot.

“If it had rained this year, I could have harvested some produce and spent the money getting my brother some serious medical attention. I could have got him a wheelchair. The lack of rain has prevented me from sowing anything this year, and I will end up earning negligible cash this season,” Kundalik, 54, said.

Kundalik is among thousands of farmers in drought-hit regions of Maharashtra who are walking a tightrope due to insufficient water supply. The state government declared a drought across 40 tehsils in 15 districts earlier this month following a 13 per cent rainfall deficit in the state.

A poor monsoon in the state has desiccated the aforementioned regions as early as five months before the onset of summer, sparking serious concerns about access to drinking water and agriculture.

Thirst, unquenched

Currently, numerous individuals across villages in the state are squarely dependent on external sources of water, such as tankers, to quench their drinking water needs.

“The village panchayat has arranged for a minimum of four to five water tankers every day, fulfilling our everyday drinking demands. This isn’t something that started yesterday or even a month ago. Tankers have been supplying water to us for the past three to four months, which was supposed to be a monsoon season,” said Balasaheb Bhagat, a resident of Rajuri village in Purandar tehsil.

Parts of Marathwada, which includes eight districts — Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad), Parbhani, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (erstwhile Aurangabad) — are facing a similar challenge.

In Jalna’s Adul village, residents are paying for their daily drinking water needs, and these costs are adding up.

“Even when it comes to our drinking needs, we rush to a nearby water-filtering facility. It costs us anywhere between Rs 10 to Rs 20 to fill up a vessel of around 15 litres. The costs just add up by the end of the month,” said Gorakhnath Bhavle, 65, a resident of Adul village.

Villages like Adul and Rohilagad in Jalna have witnessed an irregular supply of water in the past few months. These settlements get their drinking water supply either once every 15 days or once a month.

“We have to endure this water crisis for another eight months before the next monsoon season kicks in. Today, trying to get access to drinking water is a task. How can one even think of sowing a crop in such a case? We have given up on farming this year as our wells and borewells have dried up,” said Bhagwandas Patil (name changed on request), a Rohilagad-based farmer.

As a last-minute effort, gram panchayats are chalking out plans to ensure drinking water is available to village residents for at least another month.

“I’m trying my level best to get drinking water to every house. We have connected nine wells and are trying to quench the demand for 200,000 litres of water per day for Rohilagad. Currently, we get drinking water on tap twice a month. I am also meeting authorities to swiftly find a solution for the water crisis,” said Shamsundar Patil, the village sarpanch.

Parched farmlands

Farmers and village residents Business Standard spoke to said their priorities have changed, and they are no longer focusing on harvesting a crop this season due to the lack of water in their fields.

“The lack of water in the village for farming has deeply affected us. This year, I am barely harvesting just one to two quintals of cotton as opposed to 7 quintals per acre previously just because there is no water available. Our wells and borewells have dried up,” said Dadasaheb Magar, a resident of drought-hit Rohilagad village.

Bharat Takle of the same village had hopes of harvesting a bumper toor (pigeon pea) crop this season. However, he points out that his crop has stunted growth this year as he couldn’t provide sufficient water to his field.

“Here, look at the toor crop. It is counting its last days. Just a few days earlier, I bought some water via tankers to moisturise the land, and I am not doing it to save the crop. The toor is dead. I’m trying to ensure it can at least be converted into some green fodder for my cows,” Takle reasoned.

Farmers like Takle have resorted to buying water from adjoining villages. He adds that dampening an acre of land may take around three to four tankers with a capacity of 5,000 litres each. One tanker can cost anywhere between Rs 800 and Rs 1,300 to the farmer.

Others who cannot afford to buy water have resorted to chopping down their orchards to cut down on their expenses.

“I have around 600 lime trees on my farm, of which I have begun chopping down close to 300 lime trees. Unless the earth has some water in her belly, a farmer cannot afford agriculture here,” Bhavle said.

Others in Rohilagad, including Patil, have decided to remove over 900 sweet lime trees on their field, incurring hefty losses.

“If things would have been hunky-dory, I would have earned Rs 15 lakh from sweet lime alone. The annual revenue from my 14-acre farm has fallen to a mere Rs 2 lakh,” Patil said.

Meanwhile, others having a large number of sweet lime trees have tried to look out for alternative sources of water beyond just their fields.

As opposed to comparatively smaller farmers, Rajendra Wagh has around 9,000 sweet lime trees planted across his 60-acre plot. Wagh explains that, on average, a sweet lime tree may take up to five years to bear fruit.

“I have a larger farm, and hence a bigger liability. That said, as of now, I can afford to arrange and buy water for the field. Currently, I am extracting it from my well and a borewell. As the situation will get tougher in the lean months, I may have to buy multiple tankers with capacities as high as 25,000 litres. I have no other option than bearing the costs,” Wagh said.

Wagh’s farm has as many as seven wells and around 20 borewells. However, of these, only one well and one borewell have some water. He is now dependent on the farm ponds that he has constructed on his field.

On the outside, his sweet lime orchards look lush green, giving the impression of an oasis in the middle of a desert. However, he explains that he’s just trying to keep his trees alive for another year, so they bear fruit in the next two years.

Wagh said he is not expecting any substantial return from his orchards in 2024.

“One should visit us after March. Trees and crops alike can easily survive the weather during the winter. During the summer season, things go downhill quickly. Everything around us will dry out,” he added.

Farmers like Wagh suggest they avoid noting down any expenses incurred during such tough months. They believe it is frustrating to arrive at a massive loss at the end of any season.

“Farmers I know avoid documenting such extraordinary expenses. If they even look at the amount, they will consider dying by suicide. Some mortgage their house, gold, or even the land they’re utilising just to buy water. The situation gets very tough here,” he added.

Thirsty cattle at risk

As villages in the state get deprived of water, cattle are among the worst hit. Some of these cattle are at risk of death due to water shortage. As a result, farmers consider selling them off, at whatever price they get, to ensure their animals don’t suffer such a fate.

“Today, while agriculture is out of the question, fodder for cattle has become expensive, and our cows remain parched. I have 15 cows now; last year, that number was close to 30. By June next year, I may sell another six or seven cows if the situation continues to be grim,” Bhagat said.

Others like Bhagat have a similar story.

Takle sold a pair of bulls this year at a loss as he couldn’t afford to keep them alive.

“I have already sold a pair of bulls this year. I bought them for Rs 48,000 and sold them for a loss of Rs 24,000. There’s no other option than selling them if you are doubtful about their survival,” he said.

Desperate to get a decent price, farmers prefer selling their cattle off before the situation worsens.

“If I would have sold my cows after February, I would have fetched an even lower price as farmers are desperate to sell their cattle at whatever price they get during peak summers,” another farmer said.

Some suggest that farmers have to be extra-cautious during months when the water crisis intensifies. Cows, buffaloes, and bulls alike are prone to getting abducted as people try to earn an extra buck, farmers said.

“We have also seen people in the village resort to stealing cows and other cattle amid a worsening situation and desperation. One of the bulls in a friend’s barn was tranquilised and stuffed into a pick-up truck to be sold at the district markets. One can’t do much other than keeping a vigil, as we know these actions are purely out of poverty arising from failed crops and water scarcity,” said Ram Dudhate, another farmer who sold his cows.

Gender matters

The impact of a water shortage has a cascading effect on women across villages. Women, who wish to contribute financially towards their families, are confined to their homes as they are tasked with duties such as stocking up water and ensuring the cattle are well-fed.

“As a woman, I can’t contribute financially towards the house. I have to look after our cows and constantly check if they are well-fed and have enough water to drink. If it had rained this year, I would have worked on the farm and harvested the produce. But now, I am confined to the house and cannot earn anything for the family,” Swapnali Bhagat of Rajuri village complained.

She added that some women who lived in the interiors of the village had to walk for a few kilometres to reach the main road where water tankers would be parked for supply.

“These women can only carry a few vessels with them every time a tanker arrives in the village. That way, they are at a dual loss. Firstly, they have to walk longer distances, and secondly, they cannot carry enough water with them,” she said.

A single Savitribai in her seventies, who lost mobility in one of her legs when a cow kicked her, is facing a similar challenge.

“I am dependent on my brother now. We sold some cows because we could not afford to buy water for them. My sustenance is only dependent on two goats. The farm, which is now dry, was once our entire life. Not only do I find it difficult to walk now, but also the stress of the impending water crisis is overwhelming,” a teary-eyed Savitribai said.