Nashik: Water Scarcity Turns Critical; 354 Villages Depend On Tankers, Only 29% Water Stock Left
· Free Press Journal
Nashik: Currently, only 20,477 Million Cubic Feet (MCFT) of usable water stock remains across the district's 26 major and medium-sized projects, amounting to a mere 29 per cent of their total capacity. On this very day last year, the stock stood at 16,563 MCFT (23.45 per cent). Although there has been an increase of approximately 5.55 per cent compared to last year, water scarcity has intensified significantly in rural areas.
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Even as the arrival of the monsoon is just a few days away, water levels in several key projects are dropping rapidly. The Gangapur dam cluster holds a water stock of 45.39 per cent; the Gautami-Godavari dam holds 76.98 per cent; the Kashyapi dam holds 45.95 per cent; while the Alandi dam has only 7.23 per cent water remaining. Projects within the Girna basin collectively hold a stock of 32.65 per cent. Specifically, the Waghad dam holds 2.43%, the Purnagaon dam holds 4.33%, and the Punad dam holds 6.05%, while the Manikpunj dam has gone completely dry.
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As the summer heat intensifies, 354 villages across the district have been gripped by water scarcity. Consequently, the administration has deployed 125 water tankers to ensure a water supply for 212,890 citizens. These tankers are currently making 256 trips daily. With wells and borewells running dry, the demand for water tankers is increasing day by day.
Regional Overview
In the North Maharashtra region comprising the five districts of Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Jalgaon, and Ahilyanagar, water is currently being supplied to 500,000 citizens through a total of 226 tankers. Among these, the situation in Nashik district is the most critical. Last year, in the month of May, 170 tankers were operational. Although 125 tankers are currently in service this year, this number is likely to rise if temperatures continue to increase.
District Collector Ayush Prasad has appealed to citizens to use water judiciously. He has urged them to prevent leaks, avoid unnecessary consumption, and prioritise the use of water strictly for drinking purposes.
The administration has stated that, at present, no water is being released from any major dams. Emphasis is being placed on the prudent utilisation of available water reserves. However, the administration remains on high alert, anticipating that water scarcity could become more severe over the coming days.