Maharashtra: 10k villages dependent on water tankers; Livestock in crisis due to scarcity of fodder

While the administration and government of the state are busy with the work and campaigning of the Lok Sabha elections, heat and water scarcity are starting to set in everywhere. In rural areas, people are running for bucketfuls of water. Due to the complete drying up of water sources and the reduction of water storage in small dams, nearly 10,000 villages and hamlets in 23 districts have to be supplied with water through 3,500 tankers. On the other hand, there is a situation of fodder scarcity and therefore the livestock is in crisis. Now even after the polling in the state is over, the farmers' organisations are demanding that the drought should be looked at seriously.

Only 24.24 percent water storage is left in the dams across the state, only 9.87 percent in the dams in Marathwada and 18.54 percent in western Maharashtra. Demand for tankers in rural areas is increasing day by day as summer heat and local water sources start to decrease. 

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According to the department's latest report, 2,800 villages and 7,200 wadis in 23 districts are being supplied with water through 95 government and 3,400 private tankers. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar i.e. Marathwada is facing the worst situation of water scarcity and drought. 1,750 tankers are supplying water to 1,200 villages and 500 wadis in this division. It includes 656 villages and wadis in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district alone. Due to shortage of water and fodder especially the milk producing farmers are in distress and there is a demand to start fodder camps immediately. 

The problem of wet fodder is serious due to lack of water in Marathwada. Due to the lack of good prices for milk, farmers have started selling livestock. The next month and a half is going to be a test for the farmers. Interestingly, there is no shortage of water in any village or wadi in the districts of Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Nandurbar, Hingoli, Akola, Washim.