Vidarbha’s 121 villages to face severe water scarcity in Summer
| Date :17-Mar-2019 |
By Ramesh Marulkar,
Record more than three metres depletion in groundwater level
As many as 121villages in five districts of Vidarbha region have recorded depletion in groundwater level more than three metres, facing severe water scarcity during summer months. Similarly, 544 villages from six districts in the region are facing dwindling water level from two to three metres and over 1960 villages from seven districts have recorded depletion in groundwater level from one to two metres, creating probable water scarcity in these villages. The water level figures of these villages have been declared by Groundwater Survey & Development Agency in March.
The eight districts suffering from water scarcity due to depleting water level include: Nagpur, Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Buldana, Washim, Wardha and Chandrapur. Fortunately, three remaining districts - Bhandara, Gadchiroli and Gondia are on the safe side as far as groundwater level is concerned. Not a single village from these three districts has come under the category of depletion. The villages experiencing depletion of water level more than three metres will face severe water scarcity, followed by the the villages registering depletion of groundwater level from two to three metres.
The decrease in water level from one to two metres is considered to be manageable. Bhandara, Gadchiroli and Gondia districts have received considerably good rainfall during last monsoon that has saved rural masses from the water pinch. As many as 52 villages in Amravati district recorded depletion of water level more than three metres, followed by 42 villages in Buldana district. Yavatmal district has 12 villages in this category while Akola district has 9 such villages and Chandrapur registered 6 villages, facing critical water scarcity. Similarly, Buldana district has recorded 190 villages with depletion of water level by two to three metres, followed by 185 villages in Amravati district. There are 58 villages in Chandrapur district, followed by 47 villages in Yavatmal district that in this category. Akola district has 38 such villages and Wardha district registered 26 villages in such depletion level. Nagpur has not registered either level depletion more than three metres or two to three metres. There are 146 villages in this district having water level depleted from one to two metres, which is manageable. The Zilla Parishads concerned take up mitigation measures like recharging of water, laying pipe line, desilting of lakes, drilling of bore-wells, tube-wells, etc, after approval of water combat plan from the Collectorate to provide relief to the suffering rural masses.