Maharashtra water stock lowest in five years

The water table levels in almost all 2,300 dams in Maharashtra, and four main dams in Mumbai, are dipping fast.

In fact, the water storage in the state is the lowest in the last five years at 27% — 10,015 million cubic metres (mcm) — as on April 16. It was 42% and 29% on the same day in 2011 and 2010 respectively.

The water stock in Maharashtra was 34% and 36% in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

In Mumbai, the available water stock in the four main dams — Modak Sagar, Tansa, Vihar and Tulsi — is 61mcm against the 101mcm in 2010 and 94 mcm in 2011. The water stock in the city dams was 102mcm and 90 mcm in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

An official from the relief and rehabilitation department said the water stock will last until June end.

Admitting that the situation is grim, the state administration has issued a government resolution offering special status to the affected tehsils and districts.

As rural areas in Maharashtra are most affected, the state government has offered special concessions to nearly 8,000 affected villages in 12 of its 35 districts.

The villagers facing acute water scarcity have also been offered concessions in land revenue, 33.3% discount in electricity bills, waiver on exam fees and extension to the recovery of the agriculture loan among other benefits.

“The situation in a few districts such as Satara, Sangli and Solapur is very bad and the villagers depend on water tankers. Around 1,069 water tankers have been provided in 5,176 villages and hamlets which have been facing water scarcity,” said the official from the relief and rehabilitation department.

Devendra Shirke, secretary, irrigation department, said all district collectors have been directed to prioritise drinking water over other uses, such as irrigation and industrial use.

“Dams have dried up in a few tehsils, including Jat in Solapur. The question before the state administration is where to fill the water tankers. In some cases, the tankers are fetching water from nearly 50km away," Shirke said.

Chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad has also written to all the district collectors asking them to coordinate with the department concerned to ensure that adequate drinking water is supplied in their respective areas.