Less than 33% water stock left in Maharashtra dams

In a worrying development, dams in Maharashtra have less than 33 percent water stock as of now, roughly 14 percent less compared to last year.

The data was compiled in a report by the state’s water resources department (WRD). According to the report, dams in the state have a water stock of only 32.88 percent of their total storage capacity.

The situation is particularly grim in Aurangabad division (which falls under the arid Marathwada region) where currently the water stock is just seven percent against 42.67 percent around the same time last year.

The state has 3,267 dams and they had approximately 47.74 percent water stock around this time last year.

The state government has so far deployed 2,636 tankers to meet the demand of drinking water in rural and semi-rural areas, Public Works Department minister Chandrakant Patil said earlier this week.

Officials attributed the less storage in dams to last year’s erratic monsoon, which saw heavy showers initially and long dry spells towards the end.

At present, the Konkan division has 55.06 percent water stock against 61.20 percent last year, while Pune division has 46.67 percent stock as compared to 60.26 percent in 2018. The Konkan and Pune divisions are better off than the rest of the state.

In contrast, the Nashik division has 29.79 percent water stock as compared to 49.91 percent in 2018 while in Amravati division it is 31.48 percent against 24.84 percent last year, the report said.

The Nagpur division has 16.74 percent stock left against 24.84 percent last year, it added.

Meanwhile, the stock in lakes supplying water to Mumbai also dipped below the 40 percent mark last month. The BMC, which has already imposed a 10 percent water cut, is likely to limit supply further to ensure the stock lasts till rainfall in June.