Pune: Below-normal groundwater conditions have spread to 223 of Maharashtra’s 353 talukas this October, the highest number of affected regions since 2018, GSDA assessments showed.In 2018, 134 talukas were classified as affected, with seven placed in the severe category. But this year, 42 talukas have been categorised as severe, in addition to the 26 extreme, 70 moderate and 85 mild. The remaining 130 talukas are in the normal category, officials said.Dharashiv in Marathwada – in the extreme category – has seven of its eight talukas facing a groundwater crisis. In Latur, all of its 10 talukas are in the severe category. Beed is reporting “a groundwater drought” across all 11 of its talukas. A groundwater drought is a prolonged period of below-average water availability in underground aquifers, boreholes and wells.The deficit extends beyond Marathwada. In Solapur, for instance, all 11 talukas are reporting groundwater levels below the long-term average. Satara has 11 such talukas, Sangli 12 and Ahilyanagar 14. Pune district is still largely unscathed with just one of its talukas facing the “groundwater drought”.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.But the concerns don’t stop at groundwater. 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.“Low soil moisture could affect rabi sowing because there is now insufficient residual moisture in the soil for crops to grow,” said Dr Kailas Dakhore, an agrometeorologist from Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University.He added that groundwater levels declined because insufficient rain failed to adequately recharge sources. “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.”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.He said the scattered showers may bring 20-30mm of rain and last only 15 minutes to an hour. “With high temperatures, much of that water may evaporate, while natural recharge may remain confined to the top soil without reaching aquifers. Hydrogeologists should then identify suitable locations within each catchment to capture runoff and direct it into deeper aquifers to recharge levels,” he said.
