Ancient temples emerging out of water, alarming sign for Maharashtra
Upper Wardha dam built in Amaravati is an apt example of the water crisis. The ancient temples in this area which had earlier been submerged from years are starting to show up again.
Compared to the last year, water level in the dams of Maharashtra has decreased significantly. So much so that the temples and houses that had submerged underwater when these dams were built have started to emerge again.
While Mumbai experiences heavy showers, the rest of Maharashtra is severely drought-hit.
As per reports, the water level in the dams and reservoirs of Maharashtra is lowest in last 40 years.
Upper Wardha dam built in Amaravati is an apt example of the water crisis. The ancient temples in this area which had earlier been submerged from years are starting to show up again.
The dam is left with only 12 per cent of its water capacity.
This is a common phenomena across dams and reservoirs built in Maharashtra.
Jayakwadi dam, known as the lifeline of Marathwada has run out of drinking water. In the last few years, water level in Jayakwadi dam used to be around 17 per cent, which has now dropped down to 6 per cent this year.
Water emergency: Worst Affected areas of Maharashtra
Out of 353 talukas of Maharashtra, over 275 are facing serious water shortage crisis. Around 25,000 villages are dealing with water scarcity, with over 5,000 villages entirely dependent on tankers for their water supply. The conditions are getiing worse with each passing month, as more than 500 villages were added to the list of tanker dependent areas.
Marathwada, the most severly affected region is alone being supplied with about 3000 tankers to quench the thirst of the region. Villages in Aurangabad and Beed in the Marathwada region are in desperate need of water tankers.
Villages in Ahmednagar and Nashik of north Maharashtra are no exception. Over 1200 tankers are deployed to fulfil the water needs of the region.
Talking of the western Maharashtra, Solapur district is the most severly hit, with over 280 villages facing drought.
Water reservoirs are of no help...
Even the water reservoirs are craving for water as current storage in 17 major reservoirs, listed by the Central Water Commission has gone below 5% of their total capacity.has listed 5 of these reservoirs with nil current storage. Another 8 reservoirs at present have a live storage between 1% to 10% of their capacity, which is going to be depleted soon.
Comparision of rainfall in the drought affected areas of Maharashtra
| Areas | Rainfall in 2018 | Normal rainfall | Shortage |
| Marathwada | 601.5mm | 8,216mm | 27% |
| Vidarbha | 923.9mm | 1084.5mm | 15% |
| Central Maharashtra | 744.3mm | 876.8mm |
15% |
In such dire straits Maharashtra would be hoping for some of Mumbai's rain to spread across the state.
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Watch | Marathwada's worst affected areas