Maharashtra has only 19 per cent water storage

File picture of people bustling to get water from a tanker in Latur district, which has been severely hit by drought.

Maharashtra has been left with 19 per cent of water storage and Marathwada only three per cent, sending another alarm to the government on depleting water levels in coming days. Despite the water crunch, only 4,356 tankers are supplying water to 3,351 villages and 5,402 hamlets while the government has declared drought in over 28,000 villages. More than half of the tankers – 2,908 — are supplied to Marathwada alone.

As per the information sought by the relief and rehabilitation department, “Marathwada is left with three per cent of water storage, Nashik 16 per cent, Amaravati 18 per cent, Pune 21 per cent, Nagpur 26 per cent and Konkan 46 per cent.”

Water levels in all the regions are much lower than what it had been last year. In Marathwada big and small dams have been left with three per cent of water storage while medium projects have four per cent of water.

“We are taking adequate measures to supply water to the people through tankers, railway wagons. We have even acquired wells in some regions. We have started shelter for cattle, offering works under the employment guarantee scheme. Our entire machinery is focusing on controlling the drought situation,” an official from the relief and rehabilitation department said. The state government has been supplying water to Latur city by train wagons. But it has no plan to extend the service to other cities, the official added.

Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also reviewed the crop situation for the upcoming Kharif season on Thursday. The CM assured that the administration was trying its best in adverse situations for betterment of farmers. “We are optimistic about the predictions of good rainfall in the coming season. Now we have to convert a year of challenges into a year of opportunities and this is how we can serve our farmers in a better way. We have taken numerous measures like crop insurance, loan restructuring and enough provisions made for farm ponds,” he said.