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Maharashtra is in deep crisis. The elixir of life, Water, is missing from the state. Drought-hit Maharashtra is facing one of the biggest water crises in decades. 
 
The drought in Maharashtra is amplifying as days are passing by. The water in reservoirs of the state are not enough to meet the demands of parched people of the state as 17 huge reservoirs of Maharashtra are left with just 2 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water against the requirement of 45 bcm. 
 
As per the Central Water Commission (CWC), water levels in Maharashtra’s reservoirs were slightly over 30% of their full capacities in January, imagine what would be the situation now with no rainfall expected for 2 more months. 
 
The CWC has stated that between January and now, water levels in all 91 big reservoirs in the country, including Maharashtra, almost halved from a cumulative 44% of capacity to 23%. The reservoirs now together hold about 36 bcm vis-a-vis their total capacity of about 158 bcm. 
 
Moreover, only 3% water is left in dams in the Marathwada region. 
 
Eight of the region’s 11 major dams are at dead storage level, meaning water from these dams cannot flow out and has to be lifted. 
 
The situation is becoming tense as an 11-year-old girl died of heatstroke while collecting water from a village pump. 
 
Here’s an overview:

The Drought Series: Maharashtra’s drought explained

Budget airline <keyword id="6358032" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="SpiceJet">SpiceJet</keyword> is going to complete 11 years of its operations, an occasion the celebration of which would include supplying nearly 71,500 litres water to 11 draught-hit villages in the Latur district of Maharashtra, in partnership with an NGO called <keyword id="3378008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="AnybodyCanHelp">AnybodyCanHelp</keyword>. 
 
"At a time when the state is combating severe drought conditions, SpiceJet has stepped in to pledge help and relief to 11 villages in Latur, an initiative to commemorate its 11 years of flying," said an official statement from the airline. 
 
The airline and the NGO will collectively work so that nearly 71,500 litres of water can be supplied to these 11 villages of the Marathawada region per day. 
 
Water tankers for this cause will be assigned by SpiceJet, and will continue working for one month, from May 23 till June 23. 
 
<a href="http://www.prmoment.in/images/cms/spicejet3.jpg">Image source</a>

11 years of operations, 11 villages to be rescued; SpiceJet pledges to help draught-hit Maharashtra

A study has revealed that the severe drought in 10 states of India has impacted the economy by at least Rs 6,50,000 crore, affecting about 33 crore people from 256 districts, reveals an Assocham study. 
 
"The rough estimate indicates that this drought will cost national economy at least Rs 6,50,000 crore or say USD 100 billion," it said. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Two-years-of-dry-spell-to-end-as-India-to-get-above-average-rainfall/articleshow/51790077.cms">Two consecutive years of poor monsoon </a>has led to water shortage in majority of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Key-reservoirs-in-India-dont-have-enough-water/articleshow/51825053.cms">Indian reservoirs</a>, and has also lowered the ground water table, thus posing a serious threat to the already drought-affected areas in as many as 10 states, including <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Maharashtra-drought-condition/articleshow/51892493.cms">Maharashtra,</a> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Telangana-is-facing-its-3rd-consecutive-drought-coupled-with-a-heatwave/articleshow/51931861.cms">Telangana</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Nearly-3-1-crore-people-in-Karnataka-are-hit-by-the-drought-and-migration-is-intensifying/articleshow/51979749.cms">Karnataka</a>, the study by Assocham said. 
 
The impact of this drought is likely to stay for at least six more months, given the time it takes for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/NREGS-to-benefit-drought-hit-states/articleshow/51940698.cms">resources </a>and time to revive the activities on ground, despite the fact that monsoon this year is predicted to be normal. 
 
"Let us assume, the government will spend just Rs 3,000 per person to cover <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Maharashtra-livid-over-shortage-of-water-trains/articleshow/52022249.cms">water</a>, food, health for these people for one or two month. With the population of 33 crore at risk, the estimated cost to economy will be about Rs 1,00,000 crore per month," the study said. 
 
The impact is likely to be multiplied by the loss of subsidies on power, fertiliser and other inputs. 
 
<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3979174/images/o-INDIA-DROUGHT-facebook.jpg">Image source</a>

This year’s severe drought cost the Indian economy at least Rs 6,50,000 cr

The Indian state of Maharashtra is home to 11 major irrigation dams, which normally is enough for the state. However, because of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Maharashtras-drought-explained/articleshow/51927097.cms">severe drought </a>that the state is facing, 7 such dams have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Key-reservoirs-in-India-dont-have-enough-water/articleshow/51825053.cms">no water left</a> in them. 
 
These seven major irrigation dams that have faced the wrath of draught this year are Jayakwadi, Purna Siddheshwar, Majalgaon, Manjra, Lower Terna, Mannar and Sina Kolegaon, and are located in Aurangabad, Parbhani, Beed, Nanded and Osmanabad districts. 
 
The latest data has come from Water Resources Department for the week ending April 15th, and says that the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Maharashtra-faces-the-tough-challenge-of-using-water-either-for-drinking-or-for-industries/articleshow/51892493.cms"> parched region of Marathwada</a> has only 3% of water stock available, counting all the 814 major, medium and minor irrigation projects. 
 
To fight the acute water scarcity that several parts of the state are facing, the department has deployed 4,356 tankers across Maharashtra that will supply drinking water to the dwellers. 
 
Other than this, a 50-wagon water train, called Jaldoot, has also reached Latur, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bombay-High-Court-says-no-IPL-matchesin-drought-hit-Maharashtra-after-April-30/articleshow/51812532.cms">worst-hit area</a>. It carries 25 lakh litres of water, in addition to the 70 lakh litres that has already been delivered by train to Latur residents. 
 
<a href="https://s.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2015-03-23/6d9dd230-d117-11e4-a8a4-d76d47faa484_23drought.jpg">Image source</a>

Drought-hit Maharashtra dams have no water left for irrigation

Everyone is aware of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IPL-vs-PIL-With-an-alarming-rate-of-farmers-suicide-how-can-Maharashtra-grounds-have-water-for-IPL-pitches/articleshow/51700208.cms">severe drought conditions</a> in Maharashtra, because of which several matches of the ongoing IPL have also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bombay-High-Court-says-no-IPL-matchesin-drought-hit-Maharashtra-after-April-30/articleshow/51812532.cms">shifted outside the state</a>. In these alarming conditions, the government has rationed water to the beer industry and is also keeping an eye on the use of water for sugarcane, known to take up a lot of water. 
 
A few weeks ago, the Maharashta state assembly also spent a considerable time talking about the sugar mills in Latur, one of the worse drought-affected regions, and if it was okay for the mills there to use water for crushing sugarcane. 
 
"Rather than the sugar mills, it is the sugarcane which probably uses more water. The mills nowadays use water in sugarcane for their operations, and sugarcane farmers should shift to drip irrigation. However, we cannot tell farmers not to cultivate sugarcane without making alternative crops such as pulses or soyabean equally remunerative for them," Latur-based Atul Deulgaonkar, who specialises in environmental studies, told ET. 
 
Sugarcane has been blamed for misusing water for a long time now, but now the beer industry in Aurangabad, housing famous brands like Foster's, Carlsberg and Heineken, has also come under the ministry’s prying eyes for its water use. 
 
The water supply to the beer industry has already been cut by 20% instead of the earlier 10% cut. However, a minister from the state's cabinet has told ET that the Maharashtra government had entered into agreements which would reserve water that is used for making beer. 
 
As of now, Aurangabad uses water from the dead pool of Jayakwadi, one of the largest <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/91-Key-reservoirs-in-India-have-less-than-a-quarter-of-their-full-capacities-left/articleshow/51825053.cms">reservoirs in India</a>, and irrigation officials are confident that the reservoir holds enough water for at least the next three months. 
 
On the other hand, locals employed in beer factories are also worried about their jobs in case the factories decide to shut down or shift from there. "People are not migrating from drought-hit villages because there's no water to drink, but because they do not have any work," said a farmer from Marathwada region, who did not wish to be identified. 
 
However, people of Maharashtra are more worried about the availability of drinking water than for industrial purpose, given the acute shortage of water in most regions of the state. 
 
<a href="https://shrigorde.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/dsc_2736-wt.jpg">Image source</a>

Maharashtra faces the tough challenge of using water either for drinking or for industries

The <keyword id="48485" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bombay-high-court">Bombay High Court</keyword> has ordered the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> to shift matches of the ongoing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+Premier+League&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) out of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30. 
 However, it has acknowledged the contributions of Rs 5 Crores each from the <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> and Rising Pune Supergiants franchises and 64 lakh litres of water from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> to the city of Latur in the Marathwada region of the state. This means that 13 matches, including the final on May 29, cannot be held in Maharashtra. 
 
While Maharashtra continues to suffer from severe drought, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> told the Bombay High Court that shifting matches out of the state was not feasible. This was mainly due to concerns over financial <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> and the brand values of the defending IPL champions MI and new entrant RPS. 
 
However, the High Court has ruled that the matches cannot go ahead beyond the end of April. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> will now have to decide on alternate venues for the concerned matches from May 1. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

You Searched For "Maharashtra Drought" and got 6 results

The Drought Series: Maharashtra’s drought explained

Akanksha Jain

11 years of operations, 11 villages to be rescued; SpiceJet pledges to help draught-hit Maharashtra

BI India Bureau

This year’s severe drought cost the Indian economy at least Rs 6,50,000 cr

BI India Bureau

Drought-hit Maharashtra dams have no water left for irrigation

BI India Bureau

Maharashtra faces the tough challenge of using water either for drinking or for industries

BI India Bureau

Bombay High Court says no IPL matches in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30

BI India Bureau

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