In Latur, all of its 10 talukas are in the severe category.
Beed is reporting “a groundwater drought” across all 11 of its talukas.
Hydrogeologist Upendra Dhonde said groundwater conditions are also influenced by irrigation support and extent of extraction. “An area may have received relatively better rainfall but still may have plunging groundwater levels because of excessive extraction,” he said, adding that now that the monsoon has ended, officials must plan for the next eight months to capture scattered showers, especially during next March and April.
The GSDA this year completed its groundwater assessment by Sept 30, earlier than usual to get Oct data and to track depletion, especially since Maharashtra has declared a drought. Satellite data separately showed there are regions in Maharashtra where root-zone soil moisture (as on Sept 26) has slipped below a 10-year average, along with regions in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh and northern Bihar. Because insufficient rain failed to adequately recharge sources, he added that groundwater levels declined.
But the concerns don’t stop at groundwater. “In rain-fed and semi-arid areas, where agriculture relies heavily on rainfall, groundwater is an important secondary source of irrigation. This year, that source is under stress. Compared with the past decade, the situation this year is exceptionally poor, a major challenge for agriculture.”