file pic tanker
In 115 villages and 555 hamlets of Ahilyanagar and Nashik districts, tanker supply continued even through the rainy months. Across Nashik division, 157 villages and 822 hamlets are currently dependent on tankers. As many as 162 tankers are supplying water to 3.2 lakh people. The administration has also requisitioned 39 wells. Demand has risen sharply over the past 20 days. The desperation is stark at Vaiju Babulgaon, a remote village of around 2,000 people in Pathardi taluka.
Nashik: For thousands across Nashik division, the monsoon came and went, but their dependence on water tankers remains. Now, with wells drying up further and water sources shrinking, more villages are joining the queue. Drinking water has become the primary concern. With crops being abandoned, survival of livestock is the next big worry. For some families, migration is becoming the only way out. Nashik division comprises Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Dhule, Jalgaon and Nandubar districts. Tucked near the Sahyadri range, the village depends almost entirely on pomegranate farming. A weak monsoon has left groundwater depleted and wells virtually useless. Rain that does fall quickly runs off the mountainous terrain.
With nearly 90% to 100% of the population engaged in pomegranate cultivation, the village has nothing to fall back upon,” sarpanch Jyoti Santosh Ghorpade said. We have some farm ponds that have water from rainfall in 2025. As many as 139 villages and 785 hamlets, with a combined population of 2.8 lakh, are dependent on relief supplies. Here, 68 tankers serve 53 villages and 295 hamlets with around 1.20 lakh residents. At Nagarsul in Yeola, home to around 18,000 people, the story has moved beyond the loss of one crop.
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All the farmers are now focused on dairy,” resident Shailesh Ghorpate said. Farmers are unable to cultivate rabi crops such as wheat, gram, or summer onions,” resident Rajendra Paithankar said. “The primary focus has shifted entirely to securing drinking water and maintaining fodder to save livestock,” Paithankar said. “With agricultural activities completely halted, villagers are being forced to migrate to nearby regions in search of employment as groundwater levels continue to plummet,” he said. The administration said it was keeping watch on the worsening situation. Necessary approvals for tankers and well requisitions are being granted promptly to ensure no village faces a drinking water crisis,” an official from the Nashik divisional commissionerate said.
“While villagers rely on govt-supplied tankers for drinking water, local farmers are worried about the future. With farm income drying up, residents are clinging to dairy farming. But keeping cattle alive requires water too. “Dairy farming remains the sole support for residents, who want long-term govt solutions. Their immediate hope is simple: water for their animals. Ahilyanagar district bears the brunt of the crisis. Pathardi is the worst-hit pocket. In Nashik district, the scarcity is concentrated in the eastern talukas of Yeola and Malegaon. Twelve villages in Yeola depend on nine tankers, while six tankers have been deployed in Malegaon. Wells have dried up. So has the Khedi Satha storage dam. “Kharif is long gone and we have no water for the upcoming rabi season either. For families that have traditionally lived off the land, the priorities are clear. With farming at a standstill, the crisis is also beginning to push people away from home. “We are continuously monitoring the ground situation across all five districts. Download the TOI App.