The severity of drought conditions in Maharashtra is reaching to its tumultuous point. The reason for life, Water, has become no less than a luxury in the state as the levels have reached to its all-time low of 3% in the dams of Marathwada region. To avoid the depletion of ground water levels, government has banned the drilling of bore wells below 200 feet.
Fine and imprisonment to be issued to anyone who violates the ‘Maharashtra Groundwater Development and Management Act’, this is what the Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Babanrao Lonikar has said.
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"The provision of the act concerned has to be implemented strictly due to the severe drought conditions prevalent and the depletion of water stock. We have spoken to all senior officials and decided to ban the digging of borewells below 200 feet," Lonikar explained.
"While the Act will be implemented strictly, we require participation of the people. Everyone needs to come forward and help us save ground water," he added.
2,745 water tankers are being used in the region compared to 939 at this time last year.
Recap From Last Year: Good Monsoon rains help recharge reservoirs in Vidarbha and Marathwada.
Eight is the number of dams dried up to a level that is explained as ‘dead storage levels’. This level indicates that water from these reservoirs can only be taken out and not flown out.
The water levels around this time last year was at 11% but due to unparalleled drought, the water levels has dropped down to 3%.
The worst hit place, Latur, received two trains with 25 lakhs liters of water to neutralize the conditions.
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The Aurangabad Collector has already announced a 20 per cent water cut to local breweries and a 10 per cent overall cut to local industry. He also pointed out to the water for drinking purposes holds more importance than anything.
In the last 5 years this is the 4th time when such conditions have dropped in Marathwada. 8,522 villages in the region are facing the second consecutive drought.
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Data and Quotes taken from Business Standard.
Image Credit: Wikipedia