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Marathwada Drought: No Holi time for industries in the bone dry region

Updated: Mar 25, 2016 08:20:14am
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Latur, Mar 25 (KNN) "Yahan peene ko to paani hai nahi, holi kya khelega koi," this was the statement of most of the industries in drought-hit Latur, Maharashtra, who are fighting for their survival.

This year it is the fourth consecutive year of drought in Marathwada, the region which normally receives around 780 millimetres of rainfall during monsoons. The average rainfall in 2014 and 2015 was 44 per cent below normal rainfall. This year too it’s no better.

Due to severe drought, farmers are the worst affected followed by agro based industries. Because of the bone-drying drought, the total number of suicides in January 2016 crossed 1000, according to a report.

The situation of industries is no better. Marathwada region mostly has agro-based industries, sugar mills, soyabean extraction plants. Latur has majority of small and medium scale industries that are agriculture based and not industry based.

On Thursday, when the entire nation was playing Holi, this part of Marathwada was craving for drinking water and water for other necessary activities. Far was the thought of celebrating holi.

KNN caught up with some industrialists in Latur district, one of the worst affected area in Marathwada – to get the news from the ground.

“No one played holi here. There is no water for drinking, we can’t even think of playing holi,” said Proprietor of Vision Industries, Latur. Vision Industries is the wholesaler for agricultural products.

The industrialist cried that since last 2-3 years, the industry is in complete loss. “Many units are closed since last 3-4 years. We are just somehow able to sell one product in 3 to 4 months.”

He said that water apart from being needed for production purpose in the industries, is also needed for basic things – drinking, toilet, washing hands, customers”, fabrication ets. “Where are we going to meet these needs from?”

The industrialist like many others from the region is looking at the option to shift base or shit business.

He pointed that nearly 10-15 labours from around 20 industries in his knowledge have been laid off. “We only have 2-3 local labours now how are doing some field work.”

Similar is the situation with other industrialists as well. Kirti Dhoot, Proprietor, Krishna Agro Industry, told KNN, “Peene ko to paani hai nahi, holi kahan se koi khelega.”

Dhoot said that they were getting water through tankers from outside but now it has been restricted by the government for meeting necessary requirements.

“Around 2-3 thousand labours who came from other states have lost their jobs. The local ones are somehow managing,” he said adding that, “We are just waiting for the rains in next 2-3 months so that the situation here improves.”

According to a report, Marathwada is a landlocked region and is drained by the Godavari river and its tributaries such as Purna, Shivna, Dudhna, Vedganga, Sindhphana, Bindusara are the main rivers in the region. Except Godavari, no other is a perennial river. These rivers carry very little water as the summer approaches. Major dams in Godavari basin are Bhandardara in Ahmednagar, Jayakwadi Stage 1 in Aurangabad, Upper Dudhna in Jalna, and Lower Dudhna in Parbhani, Sindhphana and Bendsura in Beed, Majira in Latur, and Ujjani in Aurangabad, etc. All the reservoirs receive water during rainy season. Due to the failure of monsoon, many reservoirs are dry. No water can be supplied until next monsoon. (KNN Bureau)

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