Drought-Stricken Vidarbha Faces Falling Dam Levels and Water Supply Gaps

thenewsdirt
Apr 29
5 min read

Over the last three years, dam levels in Vidarbha have consistently dropped, placing severe stress on the drinking water supply, irrigation, and electricity generation in the region.

The situation has left large parts of eastern Maharashtra struggling with interrupted access to essential resources, as official reports and government data confirm widespread shortages.

Despite multiple schemes and announced relief measures, the gap between demand and availability remains significant, affecting daily life across several districts.

Dam Storage Trends Show Persistent Decline

Water storage in Vidarbha's reservoirs has steadily decreased between 2022 and 2025.

Official bulletins by the Water Resources Department of Maharashtra show that by May 2023, live storage across the Nagpur division had fallen to 42.3% of total capacity, with the Amravati division at 48.8%.

By May 2024, these numbers dropped further to 38.7% in Nagpur and 39.5% in Amravati. Entering the summer of 2025, the pattern showed only marginal improvement, with April 2025 levels at 42.2% in Nagpur and 50.6% in Amravati.

This prolonged reduction in water availability has impacted several key dams across the region. The Gosikhurd dam in Bhandara reported only 30.2% storage by April 2025.

Smaller dams, including Dhapewada in Gondia at 26.6% and Nand in Nagpur at 13.1%, approached critical levels, significantly lowering the capacity for irrigation and drinking water supply.

Reservoirs like Khadakpurna, serving parts of Buldhana and Jalna, were recorded at just 4.12% capacity by April 2025, after being fully depleted in mid-2024.

The Katepurna dam in Akola also reported critically low levels of around 27.2%.

These figures represent not isolated events but a regional pattern that has continued year after year.

Rainfall shortages have played a direct role in these declining levels. The 2023 Southwest Monsoon was recorded at about 94% of its long-term average, but with uneven distribution.

Vidarbha experienced long dry spells during critical periods of reservoir recharge. Combined with consistently high summer temperatures and delayed monsoon onset, these factors prevented sufficient replenishment of surface water bodies.

Consequences for Drinking Water and Agriculture

The fall in dam storage has directly affected the availability of drinking water across Vidarbha’s districts.

Official records show that by April 2024, the government deployed 2,706 water tankers supplying 2,143 villages and 5,239 hamlets in drought-affected areas. Despite this, many households continued to face long walks to collect water.

In Yavatmal's Arni block, women were reported walking two to three kilometres daily to fetch water as local handpumps and wells ran dry.

In urban areas, including Nagpur, the problem manifested through rationed supply and reduced pipeline pressure.

Nagpur city relies on Totladoh and Kamthi reservoirs, which were 59% and 76% full, respectively, by April 2025. However, the surrounding rural belts did not receive a regular supply, with pipelines often cut or operating on reduced schedules.

Irrigation has faced severe setbacks, particularly in cotton and soybean growing regions. Water shortages have curtailed cropping activity across several talukas.

In the Amravati division, agricultural departments reported noticeable drops in rabi crop sowing during the winters of 2022–23 and 2023–24.

Reservoir-dependent irrigation projects, especially the smaller ones, were unable to meet seasonal demand. The Dhapewada project, at just over a quarter of its capacity, failed to support its designated command area, while the Nand dam reached levels where irrigation release was no longer possible.

Livestock in the region also faced challenges due to reduced access to both drinking water and fodder. The government issued statements about available fodder stocks lasting only 45 days as of early 2024, raising concerns among farmers reliant on cattle for their livelihoods.

Strain on Electricity and Hydropower Generation

The shortage of water has not remained confined to drinking and agriculture alone. Electricity generation through hydropower has also been hit.

Nationally, India’s hydroelectric power output dropped by 16.3% in the financial year 2023–24, registering its lowest level in five years at 146 billion kilowatt-hours.

Maharashtra contributed to this shortfall, with lower generation capacity at its reservoir-linked power stations.

Though Vidarbha hosts fewer large-scale hydropower projects compared to western Maharashtra, the decline in reservoir inflows affected thermal plant operations dependent on water availability for cooling and ancillary functions.

Gosikhurd, while primarily an irrigation project, also supports certain energy-related operations that have faced limitations due to reduced water reserves.

The reduction in hydropower output across the state has increased dependence on coal-based power plants.

Energy analysts noted that coal generation had to compensate for the drop, particularly during the summer months when electricity demand peaks due to agricultural pumping and urban cooling needs.

Response from Authorities and Gaps in Implementation

In response to the worsening water situation, the state government initiated several measures, including the deployment of water tankers and the sanctioning of relief funds.

The Maharashtra government announced the revival of Jalyukt Shivar 2.0 in November 2023, aiming to improve watershed development through farm pond construction and maintenance.

Other projects, such as the Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani scheme and the Dhadak Sinchan Yojana, were promoted as long-term solutions targeting drought-prone regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Plans for interlinking rivers under the Wainganga–Nalganga project were also highlighted in the 2025 budget, with ₹88,574 crore allocated toward these efforts.

However, several of these initiatives have faced criticism over delays and limited reach at the ground level.

Reports from various districts pointed out that many pipelines remain incomplete or non-operational.

In Amravati, local news outlets reported that recent water-supply projects did not keep pace with the city’s expansion, forcing several new residential areas to rely on private tanker services charging between ₹1,000 and ₹1,500 for a 2,000-litre supply.

Opposition parties and local activists have accused the administration of poor planning and execution.

Public debates highlighted the stalled progress of earlier-announced projects like the Marathwada Water Grid and pending irrigation canal completions.

Several NGO's working in the field have reported that watershed structures built under government schemes often fail to retain water due to a lack of maintenance and desilting.

The scale of farmer distress remained high throughout this period.

Maharashtra recorded approximately 2,851 farmer suicides in 2023, with a significant share from the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. The link between water scarcity, failed crops, and farm debt remains a central concern in these cases.