Jalgaon: Drought Declared Across All 15 Talukas, 536 Mitigation Measures Planned

Jalgaon: Drought has been declared across 15 talukas of Jalgaon district and the administration is prepared to tackle the situation. Although the district's dams hold 92% of their water capacity, the water has been reserved for drinking purposes. Anticipating potential water scarcity, the administration has prepared a district action plan, with 536 mitigation measures planned through June.

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Jalgaon District Collector Rohan Ghuge said water shortages are projected to affect 23 villages by the end of December, 244 villages by the end of March and 521 villages by the end of June. He said the district has enough fodder to last about six months, after which additional fodder production will be undertaken through the Forest Department and cultivation on agricultural land.

Ghuge also said yields of various kharif crops were likely to decline following a prolonged dry spell.

The district expected 603 mm of rainfall this year but received only 486 mm. Bodwad taluka recorded the lowest rainfall at 58.4% of the average, while Parola taluka recorded the highest at 97.7%.

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Drought has been declared across all 15 talukas. In seven talukas, including Bodwad, Jalgaon, Chalisgaon, Jamner, Bhusawal, Yaval and Chopda, rainfall in 698 villages ranged between 50% and 75% of the average. Although rainfall was relatively higher in other talukas, the prolonged dry spell affected kharif crops.

Ghuge said the district administration took timely note of the situation and began preparations to deal with the anticipated water scarcity.

The district has 112 minor irrigation projects, 14 medium irrigation projects and three major projects. The Waghur project, which supplies water to Jalgaon, holds 71.3% of its capacity, the Hatnur project on the Tapi River is at 100% and the Girna project, the largest dam in North Maharashtra, is at 99.3%.

Medium irrigation projects in the district hold 74.5% of their capacity, while minor irrigation projects hold 66.4%. Considering the high summer temperatures in Jalgaon district and the resulting evaporation, Ghuge said water must be used prudently and instructions have been issued to use it sparingly. All available water has been reserved for drinking purposes.

On the fodder situation, Ghuge said the district requires 1.4 lakh metric tonnes of fodder a month and current stocks are sufficient for an average of 181 days. Additional fodder production will be undertaken by the Forest Department and through the cultivation of crops such as sorghum on agricultural land.

This year, kharif sowing was carried out across 7,21,518 hectares in the district. Major crops included cotton on 4,30,426 hectares, maize on 1,71,571 hectares and soybean on 43,497 hectares.

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However, a dry spell during the monsoon affected the yields of these kharif crops. The expected yield declines are 25% to 30% for cotton, 40% to 45% for maize, 25% for kharif sorghum, 30% to 35% for black gram, 30% to 35% for green gram, 25% to 30% for pigeon pea and 50% to 60% for pearl millet.

Ghuge said the administration has prepared a three-phase action plan in anticipation of potential water scarcity. Water shortages are projected to affect 23 villages by the end of December, 244 villages by the end of March and 521 villages by the end of June. The administration has formulated 536 mitigation measures to address the situation through June.

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