Despite coastal areas receiving heavy rain in the last two weeks, the fear of drought still looms in the rest of the State as water stock in dams in Marathwada has dropped to 0.8% of the total capacity, and the number of water tankers deployed in the region has reached 2,191.
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As per the data from the India Meteorological Department, Mumbai and the Konkan region received excess rainfall from June 1 to July 14. The central region, including part of north Maharashtra and western Maharashtra, too has recorded normal rainfall.
Rainfall between 20% to 59% is considered excess while (-)19% to 19% is called normal. Marathwada and Vidarbha have, however, received deficient rainfall — (-)59% to (-)20%.
The uneven rainfall has led to the State government prepare for cloud seeding project on a war footing. According to sources in the water supply department, the permissions for the experiment have been obtained and the government is likely to go ahead with the ₹30 crore project within a week or two. As per the data from the water resources department, as on July 14, the Aurangabad division (Marathwada) is left with only 0.8% water storage in its dams of their total capacity, while it was 13.72% last year. Water storage in dams of Amaravati and Nagpur divisions is 8.47% and 8.68%, respectively. Last year, the available water was 24.94% and 27.54% respectively.
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The situation in Nasik and Pune has improved with normal rainfall as dams in both the divisions have 15.72% and 32.33% water respectively. But despite excess rainfall, the dams in Konkan are half-full, with 53.83% water.
As a result of deficient rainfall, the number of water tankers deployed in Marathwada has increased to 2,191 from 1,684, within a week. The number has decreased in rest of the regions. The total number of water tankers deployed in Maharashtra as of now is 4,798.
A total of 3,800 villages and 9,422 hamlets are being provided water through tankers, with majority of them in Marathwada.