Congress demands Wai taluka be declared drought-hit as crops wither and wells run dry

Standing crops have dried up in Wai taluka of Satara district because of scanty rain. The water level in wells has also dropped, leaving farmers in distress. Citing the situation, the Wai taluka Congress committee has demanded that Wai be declared a drought-hit taluka.

On Wednesday, October 7, the committee submitted a memorandum on the issue to the sub-divisional officer and the tehsildar of Wai. The memorandum says standing crops in the taluka have withered because of the poor rain, causing losses to farmers. Water in the wells has reached the bottom, raising the question of how to irrigate the crops.

The memorandum also points out that Wai taluka has a large dam like Dhom, yet its water flows towards Khandala, Phaltan, Baramati and Koregaon, while farmers of the taluka face a water shortage.

Wai's name does not figure in the list of drought-hit talukas issued by the government. The Congress committee said that, given the conditions in the taluka, this is an injustice to farmers. The memorandum therefore demanded that the government include Wai taluka in the drought list.

Wai taluka Congress president Vilas Pisal, former vice-president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Jaydeep Shinde, Satara district Seva Dal president Pratap Deshmukh, taluka vice-president Santosh Gaikwad and other workers were present when the memorandum was submitted.

Meanwhile, drought has been declared in some talukas of Satara district, but several villages in the Masur east area of Karad taluka also face drought-like conditions. Kharif crops have suffered heavy losses for want of rain. The problem of water for farming, as well as drinking water, is growing more serious by the day.

The eastern part of Masur, including Risawad, Antwadi, Gaikwadwadi, Gholapwadi, Hanbarwadi, Nigdi, Khodjaiwadi, Chikhli, Kival, Banugdewadi, Gosavewadi and Helgaon, constantly struggles with water scarcity. The area along the Pune-Bengaluru highway and the riverside looks green, so conditions across the whole region are assumed to be the same. As a result, hilly villages and those dependent on dry farming are not getting the full benefit of drought relief measures.

Some villages in the area need tankers in summer to meet drinking water needs. Rainfall this year has been poor, deepening the water crisis. With not enough water for farming, farmers face a major challenge.