Drought Looms in Marathwada: Water Supply to 57 Villages and 11 Hamlets Now Dependent on 83 Tankers

Breakdown of Affected Areas

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, water is currently being supplied by 12 tankers to 8 villages and 5 hamlets. The taluka-wise distribution is as follows:

• Phulambri: 1 village receives 2 tankers

• Paithan: 11 villages receive 11 tankers

• Vaijapur: 15 villages and 1 hamlet receive 16 tankers

• Gangapur: 7 villages receive 10 tankers

In Nanded district, one village each in Bhokar and Mahur talukas is being served by water tankers.

The crisis is equally concerning in Jalna district, where 30 tankers are deployed to serve 13 villages and 5 urban wards:

• Jalna Taluka: 3 villages and 2 wards are receiving water from 12 tankers

• Badnapur Taluka: 6 villages and 3 wards are receiving water from 12 tankers

• Ambad Taluka: 4 villages are being served by 6 tankers

A Repeated Crisis, A Repeated Response

This year’s water crisis mirrors the pattern of previous years, highlighting not just climatic challenges, but also a lack of long-term water management planning by the government. The continued dependence on tanker-based water supply points to reactive crisis management, rather than proactive drought mitigation strategies.

Every summer, villages across Marathwada face the same reality: water scarcity, logistical chaos surrounding tanker operations, and little to no sustainable resolution in sight.

Call for Sustainable Solutions

Experts and local residents alike are urging the government to move beyond short-term tanker solutions and invest in long-term water management initiatives, including:

• Water conservation

• Watershed development

• Sustainable rural water supply systems

The recurring drought is not just a climate-induced emergency—it is a symptom of poor planning and inadequate policy execution. Immediate and bold action is needed to free Marathwada from this annual cycle of thirst and ensure water security for the region’s rural population.