The region has received very less rain as compared with 2013
Aurangabad : Delay in monsoon has increased the worries of farmers, industries and administration in Marathwada as the region has received only 29 mm rainfall till June 25 as against 112 mm of last year.
Aurangabad, which is the capital city of the Marathwada division, is facing the threat of drinking water shortage. The city gets drinking water from the Nathsagar at Paithan. The total storage capacity of the dam is 103 TMC and as of now there is only 4.42 percent water left in it.
It is noteworthy that Aurangabad has been receiving tap-water once in three days from last year. As a result the citizens, industrial houses, hotels, hospitals and even hostels of different schools and colleges in the city are facing the shortage of water for last 18 months.
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The situation in remaining districts namely Jalna, Beed, Nanded, Latur,Parbhani, Hingoli and Osmanabad is no different from Aurangabad.
Nearly three weeks on, the region has received a meager rainfall increasing the concern of people in general and farmers in particular. A leader of horticulturists, Jayajirao Suryawanshi, said that less that 5 percent sowing is completed till now. In fact farmers were supposed to get through the 50 percent of sowing business by the end of June, but are forced to wait for rainfall as look in the sky praying for rainfall.
The small and medium reservoirs in the region are left with zero percent water stock. Rivers, streams and well are dry though June is almost gone. There are one thousand villages, which still are relying on tankers for water supply. More than 275 water tankers have been pressed-in in the service for the parched villages.
Sudhir Dharmadhikari
