Marathwada's Groundwater Crisis: Over 50 Tehsils Severely Affected

An official report reveals a significant drop in groundwater levels in 51 out of 76 tehsils in Maharashtra's Marathwada region. The situation is critical in Beed and Latur districts, with the region receiving 21.44% less rainfall than average. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reviewed the drought situation in a meeting.

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.

The situation is somewhat better in Nanded district which had received good rainfall last year compared to the other seven districts, it said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday reviewed the drought situation in this central Maharashtra region by holding a meeting here.

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. The problem is more acute in Beed and Latur districts where decrease in groundwater level has been reported in ten talukas each. In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, nine talukas have reported falling groundwater levels. Eight talukas of Dharashiv district have also witnessed the same phenomenon.

In Nanded, only one taluka out of 16 has reported a fall in groundwater level. Marathwada comprises the districts of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani and Nanded. The drought-prone region received 589.9 mm of rainfall in the last monsoon, 21.44 percent less than the average annual rainfall of 751 mm. As many as 1,249 villages and 512 hamlets depend on tankers for water supply at present, officials said.

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