Drought of 2016: India
(→12,000 springs dry up in Uttarakhand) |
(→See also) |
||
Line 92: | Line 92: | ||
=See also= | =See also= | ||
[[Droughts: India]] | [[Droughts: India]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | [[India Meteorological Department]] |
Revision as of 20:11, 3 December 2016
![](/ind/images/b/b9/The_drought_of_2016%2C_the_distance_and_location_of_the_source_of_drinking_water_from_the_consumer%E2%80%99s_house.jpg)
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
2016
Monsoon delayed, just 15% water left
The Times of India, Jun 18 2016
![](/ind/images/b/bb/Total_water_storage_capacity_of_91_major_reservoirs%2C_area-wise_and_kharif_sown_area_as_on_June_17%2C_2016%2C_crop-wise.jpg)
Vishwa Mohan
Just 15% water left in 91 major reservoirs The slow progress of the monsoon has meant water storage in 91major reservoirs has dipped further and overall availability stands at just 15% of capacity.This has not only hit initial kharif sowing but also availability of drinking water. Though the area under kharif will increase once rains sweep the entire coun try over the next few weeks, the current water shortages have shrunk the total area under rice, pulses, oilseeds and other crops, except sugarcane. As on Friday , the sown area under kharif crops was 10% less than that in the same period last year.
Water levels in key reservoirs dipped from 26.81 billion cubic metres on May 26, to 23.78 BCM on June 16. With water levels in key reservoirs already at worrying levels, the situation could turn desperate if the monsoon fails to pick up in the next four-five days.
Reservoirs in south India are the worst affected. Central Water Commission figures, released on Friday , show that water availability in 31 reservoirs in the south was 4.86 BCM on June 16 -just 9% of capacity .
Comparatively , the situation in the north is much better with water levels in the region's six major reservoirs at 23% of capacity .
Of the 91big reservoirs monitored by the CWC, 27 are in the west, 15 in east and 12 in central India.
Besides supplying drinking water to many cities and providing water for irrigation, 37 of these 91 reservoirs have hydropower facilities with installed capacities of more than 60 MW.
The total kharif sown area stood at 84.21 lakh hectares on Friday as compared to 93.63 lakh hectares at the same point last year. Surprisingly , the sown area under water-guzzling sugarcane as on June 17 was higher than its acreage last year -signalling farmers' preference for the crop that invariably gives better returns than pulses and oilseeds.In fact, sugarcane has already occupied more than 50% of the total sown area.
The NDA government's move to substantially reduce the dues of sugarcane farmers in the past two years also seems to have played a role in tilting the cropping pattern in favour of sugarcane. About 87% of the dues have already been paid for the 2015-16 season, indicating how the crop remains remunerative despite delays in payment by sugar units.
The decline in water storage in the big reservoirs can be attributed to two consecutive drought years.
The country had recorded monsoon deficits of 12% and 14% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Though it is normal for water bodies to deplete sharply in the pre-monsoon summer months, the CWC has been keeping a close watch on the storage in these reservoirs so that the available water can be distributed properly till the arrival of monsoon.
Most of these reservoirs get water during the June-September southwest monsoon, while reservoirs in Tamil Nadu get water during the October-December northeast monsoon.Reservoirs being monitored by CWC include Gobind Sagar (Bhakra) and Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh, Thein in Punjab, Rana Pratap Sagar in Rajasthan, Panchet Hill in Jharkhand, Hirakud and upper Indravati in Odisha, Ukai and Sardar Sarovar in Gujarat, Koyana and upper Vaitarna in Maharashtra etc.
12,000 springs dry up in Uttarakhand
The Times of India, June 23, 2016
12,000 springs dry up in Uttarakhand
A staggering 12,000 or one-fifth of Uttarakhand's natural springs have dried up, and several organisations have come together to draw up a proposal for their revival. To be forwarded to the Centre via the state government, the proposal -drafted at a workshop held by the Dehradun-based NGO People's Science Institute -seeks a Rs 500 crore grant for the project, which is estimated to take eight years. “The initiative will percolate to local communities, which will maintain the revived springs,“ Harshvardhan Dhawan of Arghyam Foundation said.
The situation in mid-April 2016
The Times of India, Apr 22, 2016
Water level in 91 major reservoirs dips to 22%
Only two states, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura, have reported better storage vis-a-vis last year for the same period.
The water level in 91 major reservoirs across the country has dipped to 22 per cent of their total capacity, government said on Friday. According to Union Water Resources Ministry, 34.082 billion cubic metre (BCM) of water was available in these reservoirs for the week ending April 21. Their total capacity is 157.799 BCM. The levels are 35 per cent less than the stock available in the corresponding period last year and 24 per cent less than the 10-year average storage levels for the same period, the Ministry said.
Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have reported lower levels of water in major reservoirs compared to 2015.
Only two states, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura, have reported better storage vis-a-vis last year for the same period. West Bengal has reported same storage.
For the week ending on April 13, the stock was at 35.839 BCM or 23 per cent of their total storage capacity.
The estimated water storage capacity of all reservoirs in the country is 253.88 BCM. 37 major reservoirs have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.
Diverting water
SC does not ban diversion to liquor industry
The Times of India, May 25 2016
SC says no to water ban for Maha liquor units
The Supreme Court refused to direct the Maharashtra government to cut water supply to liquor manufacturing units till drinking water crisis was resolved in the drought-hit state.
A bench of Justices Prafulla C Pant and D Y Chandrachud said it was for the state and the district administration to take a decision on water supply after examining the prevailing conditions in the drought-hit areas. It said the court should refrain from interfering in such matters.
The apex court, which had approved shifting of IPL matches out of Maharashtra to limit use of water in the state, said the matter was being considered by the Bombay high court, and asked the petitioner to raise grievances before the HC.
In April, the HC had directed the Maharashtra government to cut water supply to distilleries and breweries in Aurangabad by 60% from May 10 to June 27. It had also asked the state to cut supply to other industrial units in Marathwada by 25%.
Not satisfied by the HC order, social workerSanjay Kale had approached the SC seeking direction to completely cut water supply to liquor manufacturing units.
June 2016: The drought ends?
The Times of India, Jun 12 2016
Maharashtra's drought hit Latur district has received 65.1mm rain since June 1 -nearly 121.9% of normal rainfall, report Prasad Joshi and Syed Rizwanullah. Last year, it had received just 52.3% in the same month. Smart showers over the past few days have helped rejuvenate rivers in the district and the Terna river barrage. Besides Latur, three other worst drought-hit districts of Marathwada -Osmanabad, Beed and Nanded -have got more rain this month compared to last June.