Water scarcity has taken a serious turn in mid-March itself, with thousands of villages being supplied water through tankers and acquired private wells. The culmination of this is the fact that there are signs of water shortage in the Mehkar Assembly constituency, the home constituency of Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Family Welfare and Health, Prataprao Jadhav. Despite satisfactory rainfall during monsoon last year, water scarcity started in the district at the beginning of March this year. The vicious cycle of water supply through acquired private wells has started, thousands of villagers are quenching their thirst through these wells. Residents of remote and water-less villages in the district, mainly old women, have started wandering around for a gallon of water. In the first week of March itself, water from privately acquired wells had to be transferred through tankers in eight villages. However, the intensity of the water supply through these private wells has increased fourfolds in just eight days. Currently, 37 villages in 6 talukas of the district are being supplied water through these 42 privately acquired wells.

 

Also, tankers have started plying in the district in the second week of March. Water supply through tankers has started in four villages. Water is being supplied through tankers to villages of Hivra Sable, Pardi, Jabala and Varvand in Mehkar taluka, the home constituency of the Union Minister of State. Apart from this, water is being supplied to 22 villages of Mehkar constituency through 22 privately acquired wells. Shendla, Lavna, Mola, Sabra, Khandala, Ukli, Vardada, Sula, Khamkhed, Akola Thakare, Jaytala, Mosambewadi, Pangarkhed, Ratnapur, Sukli, Pardi, Jabla, Hivra Sable, Varvand and Kaulkhed, Shara in Lonar taluka.

 

The population of the tanker-affected villages is around 7,500. As a result, it is a heart-breaking picture that the thirst of more or less 40,000 villagers in Mehkar constituency is being quenched through tankers and wells. If this is the case now, it is clear how dire the situation will be in the coming months of May and June. The scarcity in Deulgaon Raja taluka of the district is also very acute. Six villages in this taluka have to be supplied with water through acquired private wells. Four private wells have been acquired for the densely populated Andhera village. Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the thirst of this village is being quenched through acquired wells.

 

Apart from this, water is also being supplied through private wells to the villages of Dodra, Borakhedi Bawra, Digras Khurd, Banegaon in the taluka. Butta, Dawargaon, Dhandarwadi, Umrad, Bal Samudra in Sindkhed Raja taluka, Ruikhed Tekale, Ghatnandra, Devpur and Janori in Shegaon taluka are quenching their thirst only through water supply from private wells. Earlier, satisfactory rainfall was recorded in the monsoon last year. Due to unseasonal and returning rains, the rainfall in more than half of the thirteen talukas exceeded the annual average rainfall. Due to this, it was estimated that the severity of water shortage would be less this year. However, this initial estimate turned out to be wrong. This summer, water shortages have started since the end of February and the first week of March. The severity of water shortages has increased further in the second week. In comparison, in May and June, it is certain that water will be acute water shortage in six talukas in the district, mainly on the ghats.