Maharashtra is facing a severe water crisis with water storage in the state's 2,994 dams decreased to 22.83%, as of May 28. Last year, it was 32.26% on the same day. The Marathwada region has the lowest water availability at 9.10%, compared to 36.48% last year.
The state has about 2,994 small, medium, and large dams. These dams have a total live water storage capacity of 40,485.04 MLD. Currently, this has dropped to 9,316.80 MLD. Nearly 24 of Maharashtra's 36 districts are experiencing a water crisis.
The weather department has predicted a favorable monsoon. But now, 10,767 hamlets and villages across 25 districts, depend on tankers for clean water. District administrations have also started purchasing private borewells to ensure water supply in crisis areas.
Seven districts in the Marathwada region are the most affected. These districts are Beed, Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, Dharashiv, Nanded, and Chattrapati Sambhajinagar. Here is the water storage level of Maharashtra:
1. Marathwada: The water level in Marathwada's 920 dams is down to 9.10%.
2. Western Maharashtra (Pune division): It has the second lowest availability. The storage in 720 dams in Western Maharashtra is at 16.76%.
3. North Maharashtra (Nashik division): This region has 537 dams with storage down to 24.99%.
4. Konkan: This region's 173 dams have 36.37% of water availability.
5. Eastern Vidarbha (Nagpur division): 383 dams of this region have 38.65% water storage.
6. Western Vidarbha (Amravati division): This region has 261 dams with 39.53% storage.
This year, there are 27 dams with no water. 6 of these are in Dharashiv district in Marathwada. In comparison, there were only four dams with zero water last year.
Due to low rainfall in the last monsoon, 66% rural Maharashtra is designated as drought-affected. The administration is operating 3,713 tankers to provide water to thousands of hamlets and villages. Last year, only 305 tankers were in use.
The report from the water provide department was made public on Monday, May 27. It states that 3,616 private and 96 government tankers are providing water to 7,738 hamlets and 3,029 villages.
The Marathwada region has the most tankers, with 1,866 tankers providing water to 1,273 villages and 507 hamlets. Nashik division follows, with 823 tankers providing water to 772 villages and 2,580 hamlets.
In contrast, the Nagpur division has only sent seven tankers to supply water to eleven villages. In the Konkan area, 167 tankers are delivering water to 818 hamlets and 251 villages.
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