68 villages in Yavatmal declared water scarcity-hit

Yavatmal: Even before the onset of winter this year, several villages in the district are in the grip of water scarcity.
As part of water resources management, the district administration on Wednesday declared 68 villages in five tehsils of Yavatmal as water scarcity-hit and imposed a number of restrictions on use of water.
According to sources, Yavatmal receives around 911.34 mm rainfall annually.
However, the district recorded only 703.13 mm rainfall in 2018, which is only 77.15% of the annual average rains.
Arni tehsil recorded highest rainfall of 850.30 mm in the district while the lowest 527.90 mm was recorded in Kalamb tehsil.
In view of the less rainfall, the district is likely to face water scarcity in coming months.
Though, the situation may not become alarming in the first phase (from October to December), in the second phase (i.e. January to March 2019), nearly 41 villages in Yavatmal, Kalamb, Babhulgaon, Kelapur and Ralegaon are set to experience water scarcity.
Around 27 villages in Kalamb and Babhulgaon are likely to face severe water crunch during the third phase stretching from April to June 2019.
Taking cognizance of the prevailing situation, district collector Dr Rajesh Deshmukh has imposed restrictions on use of water resources under Section 26 of Maharashtra Ground Water (Development and Management) Rule, 2009.
Accordingly, water will be allowed to be used only for domestic purposes within a distance of one km from the 68 villages till June 30, 2019, the collector said.

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