It is no news that Marathwada region in Maharashtra has been suffering the most due to the ongoing heatwave which has resulted in the water crisis in the region. The drought and the debt have taken 65 lives of farmers in the region.
Read More: Water crisis in Maharashtra Amplifies, 3% water in Marathwada Dams
The water tankers which are provided by the government have become the lifeline in the region – especially in the rural areas. "The tankers are being funded by the district collector. We have also applied to the Director of health services to use the personal ledger fund which is collected in each of these units." said Dr Hemant Borse, assistant director with the Directorate of Health Services, Maharashtra.
Read Also: Why Marathwada is the most drought affected region in India
The question is how did Marathwada reach to such a deterring position? The water crisis is no alien concept to the people living there. The rains in the recent past have been falling short rampantly. Check out the rain variance over the region below.
And the dip is not only in rainwater. The uncapped and unauthorized consumption of ground water has made the situation worse. NASA’s satellite Landsat 8 satellite has captured the difference in the water levels at the reservoirs. Curated by Mapbox below are the images that show the comparison between images taken on April 3, 2016 and April 1, 2015. The startling difference is something that the government needs to think about.
Nath Sagar, on which the Jayakwadi dam stands. (Image: NASA/Mapbox)
Ujjani reservoir in Solapur. (Image: NASA/Mapbox)
Majalgaon reservoir in Beed. (Image: NASA/Mapbox)
Story Source: Scroll.in
Image Credit: BCCL