The release of water from the Ahmednagar-Nasik belt to the Jaikwadi dam in neighbouring Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district’s Paithan taluka has generated mixed reactions. While those in western Maharashtra are unhappy, those dependent upon Jaikwadi have welcomed the arrival of water. For now, the supreme court has refused to intercede, except to ask the petitioners concerned to plead their case in the high court in Mumbai. The issue of water shortages, however, is not confined only to these two areas. It has been haunting the state for decades but no durable solution has been found so far. As a result, every year, some parts of the state suffer owing to water shortages. Announcements are made for urgent steps, new projects are announced. However, the malady continues to hit a large population year in and year out.
The cruel irony is that the problem is known, the solution is known but what lacks is the political will to take some unpalatable decisions. Water harvesting, restrictions on water extraction and changes in the crop pattern are the three steps which can end the recurrent water shortages to a large extend.
While studying the water situation in Maharashtra, it is seen that the state is divided into five broad rain regions – the high rainfall Konkan, the drought prone Marathawada, the sugar rich western Maharashtra, the cotton growing black soils in Vidarbha and Northern Maharashtra regions.
The Konkan region from Mumbai till Sindhudurg receives about 40 percent of the rainfall of the state but the land and soil of Konkan are such that they are incapable of holding any substantial storage. Hence, there has been negligible surface irrigation development in the region, referred to as the wet drought region. In Konkan, most rivers are in spates during the monsoons but go dry soon after Diwali. Efforts to promote harvesting of the rainwater have been largely only of cosmetic value, are just individual experiments but have not benefited the region. The verdant land of Konkan does not generate much employment and any attempts to establish industry here are opposed tooth and nail. As there is no development, the need to value water is not realised.
Contrast this picture with the sugar rich belt of western Maharashtra where every drop of water is utilised. That is the reason why farmers from Ahmednagar and Nasik districts are opposed to diverting water to Marathwada as these two districts have a large number of sugar factories. The western Maharashtra region is famous for its sugar cooperatives, which produces most of the sugar in the state. Although this politically powerful lobby has added to the affluence of the state so a large extent, it has been blamed for the water shortages of Maharashtra. According to various studies, just four percent of the state’s cultivated area is estimated to be under sugarcane crop. Experts say it consumes almost 60 percent of the irrigation water, depriving other regions of their share. Nonetheless, the area under sugarcane is increasing and automatically leads to more water consumption by the cash crop. Although the cooperative spirit of the sector is dwindling, the number of sugar factories is growing continuously. This is because the private sector is becoming dominant in sugar production in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
If Konkan is blessed with surplus water, the low rainfall areas of Marathawada, north Maharashtra and the eastern parts of western Maharashtra continue to face water scarcity most years. As the population has been steadily increasing, the demands on the water and land are under more and more pressure. Already lagging behind in the developmental process, this resource lack impacts the livelihood of the local population adversely.
Maharashtra has done huge investments in the irrigation and energy sectors. The state is the largest consumer of power in the country. Similarly, it has the largest number of irritations projects among all states. But the fruits of this investment are enjoyed mostly by rich and powerful farmers. One beneficiary of this situation is, of course, the sugar lobby. Traditionally, agriculture was dependent upon rain water and small canals or rivulets. Now, such local sources of water have almost vanished. Consequently, water extraction has increased since local needs are not satisfied by irrigation projects, small or large. Continuous extraction results in ground water depletion.
The outcome is seen all over the state. Areas once green are now looking barren. Rivers run dry within months of the monsoon. Successive governments make plans, promises and packages to help out the farmers. Despite this, Maharashtra continues to face serious water crises frequently. Water sector giants like Madhavrao Chitale have made valuable recommendations but hardly any of these are implemented. Meanwhile, the gap between the demand and supply keeps on widening. The main reason for this is the absence of effective state policies water resource development.
It will be a self-deception to blame the low and erratic rainfall for this grim situation. The depleting water tables and neglect of rivers and water bodies are proof of our lack of interest towards this vital sector. The ground water crisis in Maharashtra has deepened and the worst affected are the vulnerable sections like the poor, women, landless labourers and marginal farmers.
The overall shortage of ground water first hits the drinking needs. The state government statistics shows that over twelve thousand villages suffered from inadequate drinking water availability. One measure to end this crisis adopted by the government was to take tube wells. In a short while, the government claimed that most tube wells had yielded water and hence were successful. In utter contrast, the number of villages with inadequate drinking water supply increased by several thousands.
Thus, nearly a hundred talukas in a dozen districts are perpetually plagued by recurrent droughts. They are in Vidarbha, Marathwada and in Pune, Satara, Sangli and Solapur districts of western Maharashtra.
Any lasting solution to this sorry state of affairs will have to be based on restructuring of the water sector on the principles of equity, sustainability and participation. A rational, equitable and sustainable use of water needs to become a primary concern for the policy makers. Only then will society as a whole will be able to participate in water governance. Therefore, the decision-makers must be told that their policy direction should be towards integrated management of water resources.
A Column By
Dilip Chaware – Senior Editor
A media professional for 43 years, with extensive experience of writing on
a variety of subjects; he is also a documentary producer and book author.
