Mumbai: After the announcement On the recent Rs 31,628 crore assistance to flood-affected villagers in Marathwada, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed the need to “take steps with a long-term perspective keeping in mind climate change”. “Though there have been floods this time, Marathwada has been synonymous with drought for decades and the fear of danger will remain in the future as well,” Fadnavis told HT after the announcement.
The threat of climate change is another significant challenge that has emerged in the region, as Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil led a protest calling for reservation for members of the community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, which also arose from the deprivation of climate change.
water management
Following three weeks of floods in September and October that devastated four of Marathwada’s eight districts – Dharashiv, Beed, Latur and Nanded – and villagers in Solapur in western Maharashtra, the state’s planning authorities are facing new challenges. Although their focus during this time has been on fighting water scarcity in the backdrop of four droughts in the last 10 years, the current devastation caused by excessive rainfall has forced them to rethink policies and long-term planning.
The region suffered drought between 2012–13 and 2019, with an average of 50% to 70% rainfall over these periods, resulting in long-term socio-economic stress. This led the Devendra Fadnavis government, which came to power in 2014, to launch two major projects for water conservation – Jalyukt Shivar; and the Marathwada Watergrid Project, which will link multiple dams to ensure equitable water supply across the region.
Unlike prosperous western Maharashtra, whose per capita income has increased due to industrial development and irrigation of cash crops such as sugarcane, Marathwada remains underdeveloped, with 74% of its population dependent on agriculture and allied activities, much higher than the average dependence of 53% in the state. 29% of the state’s kharif crops are cultivated on 48.31 lakh hectares of land in Marathwada, but persistent drought since 2012 has affected yields, leaving farmers getting poor returns for their crops. This has led to a high rate of farmer suicides in the region – 948 out of 2672 in the state in 2024, second only to Vidarbha.
The major crops grown in this region are cotton, soybean, pulses, sorghum, millet and partly sugarcane.
The 16th Finance Commission report submitted to the government in May showed the district’s overdependence on agriculture in the backdrop of poor industrialization, leading to low per capita income and gross domestic product (GDP) of the district. Seven districts of the state contribute 54% of the state GDP ($500 billion), while 11 districts contribute 26% and the remaining 18 districts contribute 20%. Five districts of Marathwada are in the third category and three districts are in the second category.
The per capita income of eight districts is 0.85% of the state average. 2.79 lakh.
Maharashtra’s ’24-25 Economic Survey, presented in February, said eight districts of Marathwada are facing low rainfall, persistent drought and agricultural distress. The economy remains agrarian, dependent on monsoons and sugarcane-based industries. Growth in agriculture and industry is below the state average. The gross district domestic product of the region is lower than that of western and northern Maharashtra.
The state government is beating its own trumpet regarding the allocation of Rs. Rs 46,000 crore for Marathwada Water Grid Project for drought mitigation and equitable water distribution in 2017; But this project could not start even after eight years of its conception.
Due to lack of water, only 15%-20% of the agricultural area can be utilized.
revisiting policies
And now, the recent floods have increased the troubles of farmers manifold, and many feel that it may take them at least three years to recover the losses. The government is now feeling the need to re-look at its own policies.
Fadnavis’ comments reminded the ministry of a report by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in 2013, which said that despite its drought-prone character, Maharashtra is projected to experience an increase in average monsoon rainfall by 2030. “This will continue to be moderate during the 2050s and 2070s, although the increase will come with high variability – increasing cycles of heavy rainfall, floods and droughts with prolonged dry spells,” it said. It also underlined that increased rainfall will not improve water availability due to lack of opportunity for groundwater recharge. “Solapur, Beed, Osmanabad and Latur belts will see more dry days amid rain and there will be a risk of flooding in Jalna, Parbhani and Hingoli,” the report said.
The report recommends measures to tackle water scarcity, including ways to increase storage capacity by harnessing the benefits of good rainfall, recharging groundwater, re-naturalizing rivers and wetlands, preserving riparian buffers and pursuing efficient farming systems such as drip and sprinkler irrigation.
The idea has been vocal by politicians in the region since the floods in September, with many stressing that the approach to irrigation in the region needs to be re-thought.
Ambadas Danve, former leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council, recently drew attention to the failure of the government’s past policies and “corruption in the administration which has further hindered the development of the region”.
“Although the government planned the Marathwada Water Grid in 2017-18, there was no financial pressure for its implementation. AURIC City (developed as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor) planned nearly 20 years ago attracted only large multinationals with limited employment. Jalyukt Shivar was crippled by corruption because it was launched to benefit contractors close to the ruling parties. Farmers They are not getting assured returns from their produce. Input costs have increased manifold. This has caused a lot of trouble,” he said.
“Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation’s industrialization schemes have helped only Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, while units in districts like Latur and Nanded have failed miserably,” Danve said.
However, Fadnavis told HT, “The next census will reveal surprising figures. Industrialization has improved and dependence on agriculture has reduced in Marathwada.”
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan called for implementing preventive measures in the region, which is historically “known as a drought prone area but has witnessed extreme events in the recent monsoon season”. Chavan called for “desilting from river beds and tributaries to increase carrying capacity and storage, which will help mitigate future difficulties in case of both heavy rains and drought”.
“There is a need to change the norms of water release from dams. Release of water from dams during monsoon leads to floods; on the other hand, in summer, not enough water is released when needed,” Chavan said. He said that there is a need to change the cropping pattern also.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s irrigation expert, Pradeep Purandare, described the waterlogged Shivar as “haphazardly planned, which aggravated the after-effects of the recent floods”.
“The drainage system of protected waters under Jalyukt Shivar was planned after the launch of the scheme in 2015. The project was tantamount to privatization of the irrigation sector. There are several reports on climate change related to Marathwada, including the TERI report, which warned of floods in the region in the 2030s, and the need to take preventive measures. Unfortunately, the state government has not worked on any mitigation plans to deal with these. Have not done. Incidents,” Purandare said.
Marathwada-based environmentalist Atul Deulgaonkar said, “Percolation tanks started in 1980 have become evaporation tanks due to the silt deposited in them. Similarly, flood plains, which are supposed to be sacred, are filled with obstructions and encroachments. The government should emphasize on better water and soil management to avoid these extreme events as seen in Marathwada.”
Pankaja Munde, environment minister and one of the most influential leaders in the sector, said, “Although the road ahead is difficult, the ambitious plan will help us move forward. I have spoken to officials for long-term planning and prioritizing the necessary funds. We will mobilize funds from various departments to implement the mitigation plans.”
