Drought-hit Maharashtra faces severe water and fodder shortages; govt asks local bodies to prioritise water use

MUMBAI: In view of the growing El Niño effect and looming drought, the Maharashtra government issued the advisory asking respective local bodies to prioritise the usage of water and fodder.

Due to the effect of El Niño, there is a major deficit of rainfall in the state this year. The State Water Resources Department has asked the respective local bodies to cut down at least ten per cent of the water supply from October 16, 2026, so that the citizens should not face any shortage of drinking water. The drinking water has been given top priority, and a ten per cent buffer stock will be kept for emergency use due to uncertain situations.

The Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said that the drought has been declared in 265 talukas where 'Trigger-1' of the 2016 Kharif season was implemented. He said the impact of El Nino's will remain for the next two years as it has been pred;icted therefore, they need to prioritise water usage.

“If there is an extreme need, water from dead storage will also be used after technical inspection. The local bodies and self-government bodies also focus on recycling the sewage water. Besides, the special campaign should be launched to prevent water leakage, and only the treated water should be used for gardens, construction, and washing by operating the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at full capacity,” the minister said.

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He said that after giving the first priority to drinking water, animals, and fodder, the second preference should be given to irrigation. “There should be emphasis on water-saving irrigation methods. The 30% of the water should be reused for industries. Strict action should be taken against the unauthorized use of water. The joint teams of Revenue, Police, and the Water Resources Department will be made that will do monitoring to stop the unauthorized water use from dams, rivers, and canals. The water pumps and materials that used to pump out water illegally will be seized. To avoid a water crisis in the coming year, citizens and all agencies should use every drop of water carefully and cooperate with the administration," the minister said.

Apart from the shortage of water, Maharashtra will also face a severe shortage of livestock fodder due to the drought. The state has recorded a deficit of 22.79% in green fodder and 21.43% in dry fodder.

There are about 2.78 crore livestock in the state, and the estimated requirement of green fodder for them is 1,176.78 lakh metric tonnes. Against this requirement, only 907.49 lakh metric tonnes of fodder are available at present, creating a deficit of 268.37 lakh metric tonnes of fodder. There is also a shortage of dry fodder. As against the requirement of 377.87 lakh metric tonnes, only 296.62 lakh metric tonnes of fodder is available, creating a deficit of 81.06 lakh metric tonnes or 21.43%.

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