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After two back-to-back good Rabi (winter) crops riding on robust rainfall, Maharashtra may witness a tepid Rabi season this winter going by the soil moisture content and water levels in reservoirs. As of Sunday, reservoirs in the state are 75.62 per cent full compared to 90.71 per cent during the same time last year.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division is expected to face the worst crisis owing to the lower-than-expected rainfall this year.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division comprising Beed, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Nanded, Latur, Dharashiv, and Hingoli districts reported the lowest average reservoir water level (40.53 per cent) in the state.
Jaikwadi – the biggest reservoir in Marathwada – is 47.15 per cent full compared to 100 per cent last year. Another important dam in the region, Manjra, has also reported a water level lower than that of last year.
Maharashtra received 927.1 mm of rainfall this monsoon against the yearly average of 1,038.6 mm. Nashik (74.8 per cent) and Pune (62.8 per cent) divisions have reported the lowest rainfall in the state. Marathwada region has received 82.5 per cent of its normal rainfall.
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Overall, 26 districts have reported lower-than-expected soil moisture which can affect sowing in the Rabi season. Chana (chickpea) and wheat are the major Rabi crops in the state with some regions also sowing cane during January-February.
The low level of water in the reservoirs could also pose a serious concern with regard to the availability of drinking water during the next summer season.
Opposition leaders like Congress’s Vijay Waddetitwar and NCP’s Supriya Sule have already demanded that the government declare a drought in the state. The state government is expected to take a decision about the same soon.
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