The Marathwada region in central Maharashtra has experienced 28.95% more rainfall than the average for this year, with total precipitation reaching 412.9 mm by the end of July. Despite this surplus, an official report reveals that 427 villages and 106 hamlets in the region remain reliant on water tankers. The rainfall, surpassing the expected 320.2 mm, highlights ongoing water supply challenges in the region's eight districts.
Despite the excess rainfall, reservoirs and other water sources in Marathwada remain insufficiently stocked. Consequently, authorities have deployed 682 tankers to provide water to 427 villages and 106 hamlets across Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Hingoli, Nanded, and Dharashiv districts, according to the report.
As of July 31, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar had the highest number of villages dependent on water tankers, with 239 villages and 3 hamlets relying on 356 tankers. In Jalna district, 167 villages and 45 hamlets were supplied water by tankers during this period.
The Marathwada region has 877 major, medium and minor irrigation projects with a collective water storage capacity of 8,155.12 million cubic metres. The report says that these sources had a water stock of 17.77 per cent (about 1,400 MCM) on July 31.