Nagpur drought conditions have intensified after all 14 talukas in the district were declared drought-affected, with water storage in five major reservoirs falling to 61.03% of capacity and creating a difficult allocation challenge for drinking water, irrigation and industrial use.
The reservoirs held a combined 884.97 million cubic metres (MCM) on September 28, according to the Water Resources Department (WRD). On the same date last year, the five reservoirs were almost full. The drought declaration was made under Trigger-1 of Maharashtra’s Drought Management Code, which considers rainfall deficiency along with prolonged dry spells.
The state has declared 265 of its 358 talukas drought-affected. In Nagpur district, the affected talukas are Nagpur rural, Kamptee, Saoner, Parseoni, Mouda, Bhiwapur, Kalmeshwar, Katol, Ramtek, Hingna, Umred, Kuhi, Narkhed and Nagpur city.
The five reservoirs have a combined storage capacity of 1,449.99 MCM. Totladoh, the largest and a key component of the Pench system, is the main concern. It held 562.81 MCM, or 55.34% of its capacity, compared with 99.92% on the same date last year.
Wadgaon was 60.76% full, against 100% a year earlier, while Khindsi stood at 76.67%, compared with full storage last year. Navegaon Khairi had 81.22% storage, down from 97.50%. Nand recorded the highest level among the five at 86.33%, but it too was below the 100% storage recorded last year.
The available water must be divided between competing requirements. Of the 763.57 MCM earlier assessed in Totladoh, Navegaon Khairi and Khindsi, the WRD estimated that approximately 121 MCM would be lost to evaporation. A further 217 MCM was reserved for drinking water supply to Nagpur and Bhandara districts and for industrial use.
That leaves an estimated 436 MCM for irrigation, against a requirement of 550 MCM for the kharif season alone. The potential shortfall is therefore about 114 MCM. Around 65,000 hectares of farmland in Nagpur district depend on irrigation, making reservoir levels a direct concern for agricultural operations as well as for the district’s urban and industrial water systems.
The figures also indicate that water stress extends beyond the Pench system. Although Totladoh is the most depleted of the major reservoirs, lower storage at Wadgaon, Khindsi, Navegaon Khairi and Nand has reduced the administration’s room to manage demand across sectors.
With the district entering the post-monsoon period, the administration will have to allocate the available stock between drinking water, irrigation and industrial requirements under the drought-management framework. The latest reservoir assessments and sector-wise water allocations will determine how the district manages the remaining storage.
