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Maharashtra govt plans drastic measures in face of poor rainfall

Mumbai - Mumbai and the Konkan coast, which should have received about 2,250mm of rainfall till August 15, has got just 1,675mm, a 30 per cent shortfall.

With most parts of Maharashtra having record deficient rains, the state government is worried about the impact on agriculture production and water supply.
Except Vidarbha, which has received normal rains so far, the rest of the state - including Marathawada, central Maharashtra and Mumbai and Konkan - have received 30 to 50 per cent deficient rainfall between June 1 and August 15. With less than 45 days for the monsoon to run its course, the government is worried that the situation is unlikely to improve.
Mumbai and the Konkan coast, which should have received about 2,250mm of rainfall till August 15, has got just 1,675mm, a 30 per cent shortfall. The worst affected is Marathawada, where the shortfall is almost 50 per cent.
The deficient rainfall in Mumbai and Konkan will affect water supply to the metropolis, affecting millions of residents. Already in many parts of Mumbai, residents have to depend on tanker water for supplies..
Other cities across Maharashtra are also facing an acute shortage of water. The water crisis will get aggravated over the next 10 months, especially during the summer months beginning March.
The state administration is planning to take drastic - though belated - measures to tackle the crisis caused by the deficient rainfall. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced plans to dig up 100,000 wells, besides creation of 50,000 farm ponds to help preserve rainwater.
This will be done in all the 14 suicide-prone districts of the state, including in Vidarbha. Thousands of farmers in the backward region commit suicide every year, as they are unable to clear debts. Farmers borrow funds from money-lenders, paying them usurious interest rates.
Marathawada is one of the most backward regions in the state and the parched region gets very little rainfall. Every year, hundreds of thousands of residents migrate to cities including Mumbai in search of work.
The state government is also toying with the idea of imposing a 'drought tax' on residents to help raise resources of about Rs50 billion to alleviate the suffering of 30 million people in drought-hit regions.
Opposition parties including the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have slammed the government for considering raising additional resources by imposing additional taxes. They have asked the government to cut down on unnecessary expenditure, instead of levying additional taxes.
nithin@khaleejtimes.com
NITHIN - MAHARASHTRA DEFICIENT RAINFALL

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