24 May,2024 06:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
The water stock of the Maharashtra dams has dipped to 23.63 per cent and water is being provided through 3,692 tankers in 2,973 villages and 7,671 hamlets spread across 25 districts across the state due to water scarcity, the officials said on Friday, reported the PTI.
This year, the aggregate water stock in 2,994 dams in Maharashtra stands at 23.63 per cent at present as compared to 33.59 per cent on this day (May 24) last year, according to the PTI.
Division-wise, 920 dams in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar currently hold only 9.55 per cent water stock, Pune 17.59 per cent, Nashik 25.74 per cent, Konkan 37.11 per cent, Nagpur 38.83 per cent, and Amravati 39.94 per cent, the figures issued by the irrigation department said, the news agency reported on Friday.
On May 15, 2023, a total of 334 villages and 774 hamlets were being provided water through 245 tankers.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has borne the maximum brunt of water scarcity with 1,256 villages and 506 hamlets being provided water through 1,849 tankers. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has 708 tankers to provide water to 435 villages and 65 hamlets, an official release said, as per the PTI.
In Nashik division, 756 villages and 2570 hamlets are being supplied water from 812 tankers, while in Pune division 631 villages and 3,829 hamlets are getting water from 755 tankers.
In Konkan, 232 villages and 766 hamlets are being provided water from 177 tankers, Amravati division's 87 villages are being provided water from 92 tankers. In Nagpur 11 villages are getting water through seven tankers.
There is 55.09 per cent storage in all dam projects in the state as compared to 80.94 per cent in the year 2023.
Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has 31.93 per cent storage, the official release said.
Groundwater level down in 51 out of 76 talukas of Marathwada
Meanwhile, the groundwater level has gone down, by more than three metres in some cases, in 51 out of 76 tehsils in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, an official report has said, reported the PTI.
The situation is somewhat better in Nanded district of Maharashtra which had received good rainfall last year compared to the other seven districts, it said.
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Thursday reviewed the drought situation in this central Maharashtra region by holding a meeting.
The official report submitted to the chief minister said that groundwater level has gone down by upto one metre in 18 talukas (tehsils), by between one to two metres in 15 talukas, between two to three meters in 14 talukas and more than three metres in four talukas.
(with PTI inputs)
