Beed Water Crisis Deepens As 144 Irrigation Projects Hold Just 14% Water

Beed: With rainfall remaining deficient during the current monsoon season, a severe water shortage is looming over Beed district. The total useful water storage across all 144 small, medium and major irrigation projects in the district currently stands at a meagre 14.38% of live storage capacity.

According to data from the Water Resources Department, 69 projects have dipped below the dead storage level, while 28 projects have gone completely dry, escalating concerns among local farmers and residents.

The district's total water storage capacity across all projects is 767.539 million cubic metres (MCM). However, the actual live useful storage available at present is only 110.397 MCM.

In Majalgaon, the district's sole major irrigation project, the useful water level has dwindled to just 19.71%. The Manjra projects have only 16.14% water.

Water levels across 16 medium projects stand at 15.52%, while 146 minor projects hold barely 7.96% useful storage. In the Krishna basin, 27 minor projects have run completely dry, with 0% water storage.

Alarmingly, not a single dam in the district is filled above 75%. As many as 56 projects have less than 25% water, while 97 projects have reached critical levels, including 69 below dead storage and 28 that are completely dry.

Beed district receives an annual average rainfall of 566.30 mm. However, between June 1 and August 10, 2026, the district recorded only 215.40 mm of rainfall — just 38.46% of its seasonal average. With half the monsoon season already gone, heavy downpours in August and September are desperately needed to salvage the cropping season and meet drinking water requirements.

A tehsil-wise breakdown reveals a grim picture for Georai, which faces the most critical shortfall, with zero water storage.

Except for Wadwani, Majalgaon and Dharur, all other tehsils in Beed district are facing severe water stress.

Amid the looming crisis, the only silver lining for Beed residents is the neighbouring Jayakwadi Dam in Paithan, which currently holds 94.14% useful water storage.

In all, 1,100 cusecs of water has been released from Jayakwadi Dam into the right bank canal. The water has reached Majalgaon Dam, resulting in a two-percentage-point increase in its water storage.

The water will continue to be released into the right bank canal until November-December, ensuring that adequate water is stored in Majalgaon Dam through the Jayakwadi right bank canal.

Tehsil-wise water storage

Georai: 0.00%

Patoda: 0.88%

Ashti: 1.36%

Shirur Kasar: 2.09%

Wadwani: 24.13%

Majalgaon: 19.71%

Dharur: 18.57%