Water crisis grips Marathwada: 156 tankers deployed for 127 villages

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Around 127 villages and hamlets across Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other parts of the Marathwada region are reeling under severe water scarcity this summer. To mitigate the crisis, authorities have pressed 156 tankers into service to ensure a steady supply for affected residents.According to official data, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is the worst-hit district, with 85 villages and hamlets reporting shortages.As per official data, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has a maximum 85 villages and hamlets affected due to the water scarcity, followed by Jalna (39), Latur (2) and Hingoli (1). Out of 156 water tankers deployed in the affected areas, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has a maximum 115 tankers, 38 in Jalna, two in Latur and one in Hingoli."As the summer progresses, drinking water sources are depleting, leading to scarcity in several pockets. Local authorities have standing instructions to arrange water tankers immediately upon receiving complaints from residents," said a senior official from the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Divisional Commissioner's office.To sustain the tanker supply, authorities have acquired several private and public wells in scarcity-hit areas to serve as refilling points.Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that live storage across major, medium, and minor irrigation projects in Marathwada had dropped to nearly 41% by Saturday. While the cumulative stock is roughly 10% higher than at this time last year, many reservoirs have reached "worrisome" levels, triggering local shortages.The crisis has been exacerbated by the extreme weather in late April, where temperatures in Marathwada hovered around 43°C. These heatwave conditions led to significant evaporation losses from regional water resources. On Saturday, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2°C, which is 0.5 units above the seasonal normal.