Maharashtra: Only 25% Water storage left; Water being supplied through tankers in many areas

Due to prolonged rains in the state and increased use of water for agriculture due to summer, rapid evaporation of water bodies, the level of water bodies in the state is decreasing. There is currently 25 percent water storage in the state's reservoirs, which is three percent less than last year. So many areas have to rely on tankers for drinking water.

Last year most of the dams were full due to prolonged rains. However, the water level has started decreasing in the last 15 to 20 days. At present, the reservoirs in the state have 25.12 percent stock. During the same period last year, reservoirs had 28.17 percent stock. The water reservoirs of major, medium and minor projects in six revenue divisions of Amravati, Aurangabad, Konkan, Nagpur, Nashik, Pune are recorded in the state. Amravati has the highest water storage at 40.90 percent, while Pune division has the lowest water storage at 18.87 percent. Drinking water tankers have been started in all the divisions of the state except Nagpur. The government has appealed to the farmers not to sow as the rains are delayed. Accordingly, sowing has not started yet.

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So far only one percent of the total area has been sown. However, sowing of summer i.e. Rabi season staple crops have increased by 129 percent during this period as compared to last year. During this period, the average area of total summer crop was estimated at 3 lakh 49 thousand 759 hectares while this year 4 lakh 52 thousand 335 hectares were sown. Last year it was four lakh 33 thousand 557 hectares. There has been an increase of 154 percent in cereal crops, 143 percent in food grains and 104 percent in sowing of pulses.

Konkan is the most suffering In the middle of June where 515 villages and 1246 wadis of the state are being supplied with water by 381 tankers. Among them, most 274 villages, 773 wadis in Konkan are being supplied with water by 146 tankers. In Nashik division, 89 villages, 147 wadis are being supplied by 96 tankers, while in Pune division, 77 villages, 314 wadis are being supplied by 63 tankers.