Marathwada's struggle continues: Then drought, now deluge
Heavy rains have lashed the parched region so much that NDRF has to be pressed into force in some areas of Beed District.
In Short
- After a four year drought, now deluge in Marathwada
- Eight people have lost their lives in various rain related incidents.
- Bindusara,one of Beed's biggest dams, is full after nearly 10 years
After facing historic drought for last four consecutive years, Marathwada now struggles with heavy rain menace.
Heavy rains have lashed the parched region so much that NDRF has to be pressed into force in some areas of Beed District. As many as eight people have lost their lives in various rain related incidents.
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Small and medium projects in all the eight districts of Marathwada are overflowing. Big capacity dams too are either full or have crossed the 50 per cent mark. Bindusara,one of Beed's biggest dams, is full after nearly 10 years. Till Sunday, Beed district received almost 700 mm rainfall thereby crossing its annual average rainfall mark of 666 mm.
HEAVY DOWNPOUR
According to official data eight of the nine talukas from Beed district had reported heavy downpour on Friday and Saturday. Pendgaon (180 mm) and rural parts of Beed taluka (153mm), Dindrud (140mm), Gangamasla (135mm), rural parts of Majalgaon (121mm), Nitrud (115mm) and Talkhed (106mm) from Majalgaon taluka, rural parts of Wadvani (115mm) and Kaudegaon (113mm) from Wadvani taluka, Bardapur (112mm) from Ambajogai taluka and rural parts Kaij (106mm) and Vida (103mm) of Kaij taluka reported more than excess rain.
Godavari River in Nanded region is overflowing. On Sunday the sluice gates of the overflowing Majalgaon dam (16 TMC capacity) were opened to allow the water to escape and ease the pressure on the dam.
Lower Terna (4 TMC capacity) and Sena Kolegaon (5 TMC), which are in Osmanabad are also racing towards full capacity. Six doors of Manjra Dam in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra were opened this morning. Almost all the 17 medium-sized dams and 90 smaller water holding bodies in the district are overflowing. According to officials, compared to 49 per cent rain the past four years, Osmanabad has got 92 percent rainfall so far.
This heavy spell of rains is expected to end the water woes of a parched Marathwada. It could be recalled that Maharashtra government had made arrangements to supply water to Latur in Marathwada through Water Trains called Jal-doot in peak summer season.
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