In a town in western <a class="link-text" href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india">India</a>, every conversation involves a possible solution to the crisis.Standing in his brown, dusty field, Narayan Mahale looks at the Wagh river that runs under the cliff on which his field lies, and is convinced the solution is a piped supply of water. Less than 5km away, Ramchandra Mahale believes a dam will suffice. His neighbour, Anita Gaikwad, says the key is to find better ways to harvest rainwater. The villagers in Mokhada, in the Palghar district of India’s western state of Maharashtra, can’t help themselves. <a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/0cd38f20-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/0cd38f20-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/0cd38f20-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/0cd38f20-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"><img class="wrapper__img preview-img-item" src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/0cd38f20-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_972x_115323.jpg" /> Farmer Narayan Mahale can see the river, now drying, flowing past through the year. But that water often does not reach him. Photo: Kunal Purohit </a> This region is facing a crushing <keyword id="68552" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-scarcity">water scarcity</keyword>. Dominated mostly by tribal hamlets, Mokhada is underdeveloped – it has a literacy rate that is two-thirds lower than the national rate of 74 per cent; it sees hundreds of children dying each year due to poor nourishment and health care facilities. Very few villages have any piped supply of water. As a result, many of them have to depend on common wells. But last year’s scarce rainfall meant that many village wells ran dry by January this year. It isn’t just Palghar alone; 43 per cent of India is gripped by a severe drought, being abnormally to exceptionally dry. <a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/3e6424e0-9bef-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/3e6424e0-9bef-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/3e6424e0-9bef-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/3e6424e0-9bef-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"><img class="wrapper__img preview-img-item" src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/3e6424e0-9bef-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_972x_115323.jpg" /> Map of the areas facing drought in India. Graphic: SCMP</a> But Mokhada’s drought carries a heavy and almost tragic sense of irony. It is not a dry region; five rivers originate here. The region generally sees over 2,400 millimetres of rainfall a year. But instead of providing for the locals, much of the water is diverted to Mumbai – which gets a major chunk of its water from here – along with other cities and industrial corridors. The scarcity can turn fatal. In April 2012, a woman died from the exertion of trying to fetch water. In addition, the hilly terrain in the region means the rainwater does not percolate but instead, slides off down the valley into the rivers. Locals are left with the hard choice of staring at rivers flowing past, even as they struggle for each drop. <a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/5d2d5df2-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/5d2d5df2-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/5d2d5df2-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/5d2d5df2-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"><img class="wrapper__img preview-img-item" src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/5d2d5df2-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_972x_115323.jpg" /> Mathura Waghare, a resident of Brahmanpada village in Mokhada, stands with a drum of water. Such drums cost as much as US$5-6. Photo: Kunal Purohit</a> SLEEPLESS NIGHTS SPENT DODGING SNAKES AND SCORPIONS The crisis is overturning the lives of Mokhada locals, who are staying awake through the night in search of water. Mathura Waghare, 35, from the tribal village of Brahmanpada, now has a routine that revolves around getting adequate water for her supply to survive each day. The village’s only source of water, a common well, ran out of water in January this year. Since then, Waghare has been searching for water in nearby villages on foot. When she found water 2km away in a neighbouring village, she was relieved. But the next day, villagers there were up in arms. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="Without water, we can’t survive, so sleep does not matter" auname="Mathura Waghare, villager"></div>


 “People in that village feared that they would run out of water if we continued going there. So, they refused to allow us to fill water,” she says. That’s when Waghare decided that she had had enough. She decided to head into the forest, to a well she knew was a 45-minute walk from Brahmanpada. This did not have much water, but the groundwater area in the table was high, she said. So the villagers would wait at the well every day for groundwater to percolate into the well. Each night at around 3am, Waghare starts walking into the forest with her stainless steel handis (large pots). Most nights, women from the neighbourhood walk with her. “It gets scary to walk alone. There are scorpions and snakes in the forest; the other night, we saw a snake slide past,” Waghare says. <a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/71dbed5e-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/71dbed5e-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/71dbed5e-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"></a><a class="link-text" href="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/71dbed5e-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_image_hires_115323.jpg"><img class="wrapper__img preview-img-item" src="https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2019/07/02/71dbed5e-9be4-11e9-baa5-dd214ed0de8f_972x_115323.jpg" /> Mathura Mavle dug this pit with her friend, using their bare hands, in their desperation for water. Photo: Kunal Purohit </a> With battery-operated torches in their hands, and balancing the handis on their heads, the women set out each night and sometimes, even multiple times in the day, if they receive unexpected guests or if the water runs out sooner. Once at the well, Waghare queues up, waiting for the water to percolate. “Sometimes, it takes 3-4 hours; other times, there is enough water in an hour. It is unpredictable,” she explains. Water filled, she balances two handis on her head, the third one in her hand, fingers firmly clasped around its neck. On an average day, she sleeps for five hours, before waking up between 2am and 3am. But there are days when her worries are so severe that she cannot sleep. “So, I finish my chores in the night and set out at 10pm or so. Without water, we can’t survive, so sleep does not matter,” she says. TAKING MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS Mathura Mavle, 30, sympathises with Waghare’s situation. Mavle lives in the tribal village of Kharawali, about 5km away from Waghare’s Brahmanpada. Just outside Mavle’s house lies a well. But it is bone-dry and its floor lies exposed to the sun. Another well, 1.5km away, is also nearly dry. So one summer day, two months ago, Mavle and Asha H* walked for a kilometre or so, climbing down small rocky cliffs to where a small stream flows past in the monsoons. The stream goes dry by October every year. One rock at a time, they both dug a small hole in the earth, at the base of an old tree. They kept digging through the day. Seven hours later, at a depth of almost one metre, they hit water. <h3 style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; display: inherit; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; line-height: 2.42rem; margin-bottom: 2.35rem; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="link-text" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3012754/water-shortages-and-heatstroke-warnings-issued-temperatures">Warnings issued as temperatures pass 50 Celsius in India heatwave </a></h3>The women have been trekking to the pit every day since, with their children and sometimes their husbands in tow, to collect water. But digging the hole, they realised, was just half the battle won. Standing over the pit, Mavle says: “There is only as much water a small pit like this can carry. So, whenever it runs out of water, we just sit around, waiting for groundwater to percolate into it.” The unpredictability means locals can be queuing up at the pit for up to half the day. Today isn’t one of those days. Mavle walks into the pit, crouches and patiently fills her pots, one bowl at a time. “We got lucky today,” she says, smiling. MOKHADA’S LONG-STANDING NEGLECT For activists working in the region, Mokhada’s struggles are a result of a long-standing neglect of the region. Brian Lobo, a veteran activist of the Kashtakari Sanghatana (Farmers Collective), says the locals have been clamouring for authorities to address the issue for years. He points to the three major dams in the region – these dams on the Vaitarna river, flowing through the region, supplying daily over 1,000 million litres of water to Mumbai. “We have demanded that the water from one of these dams, the Upper Vaitarna dam in the region be used to fulfil the needs of locals, rather than being diverted for industrial purposes.” Lobo said a study had even found it to be a workable solution. “But, consequent governments refused to implement it,” he said. <h2 style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 1.71rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: 2.21rem; margin-bottom: 0.42rem; margin-top: 1.14rem; vertical-align: baseline;">This crisis is not just about the poor management of water alone but a broader mismanagement of natural resources. Brian Lobo, activist</h2>One of the first dams in the region, the Modak Sagar Dam, was constructed in 1957 to supply water to Mumbai. The dam supplies over 400 million litres of water to Mumbai each day. The administrative head of Palghar district, Dr Prashant Nanaware, admits that there’s a problem. He says the government is working out a solution. “We also believe that the river’s water can be diverted for locals. We are working on a proposal to have water supply schemes for these parched villages and once approved, we will execute these.” But Mokhada is not alone in experiencing poor water supplies. At a time when a severe water crisis has gripped much of India, including the southern metropolis of Chennai, such similar stories of poor management of water resources abound. <h3 style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; display: inherit; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 1.71rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; line-height: 2.42rem; margin-bottom: 2.35rem; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="link-text" href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3015251/workers-told-shower-less-hotels-ration-water-guests-reservoirs">Workers told to shower less as reservoirs in Chennai city dry up </a></h3>Chennai, a city with over 9 million inhabitants, faces a crippling water shortage – four major reservoirs that form the bulk of its water supply have dipped to less than 1 per cent of their capacity. Other sources are also running out of water. With its official monsoon season at least two more months away, the city is praying for unseasonal rainfall. But even in Chennai, data shows many of the city’s water bodies, which could have been a valuable asset in this scarcity, have become defunct due to poor management as well as allowing construction on it. Similarly, unplanned urbanisation has led to many of its wetlands shrinking to a fraction of their original size in the last few decades. Nityanand Jayaraman, a Chennai-based writer and a social activist who has been tracking environmental causes, says: “This crisis is not just about the poor management of water alone but a broader mismanagement of natural resources. Chennai’s growth has come at the cost of open spaces and water bodies, both of which are taken over and built upon to create more and more housing.” The pattern isn’t unique to Chennai, Jayaraman says. Pointing to other Indian metros, he says: “Across different Indian metros, we have followed this same model of development, one that prioritises needs of housing and commerce but not the environment.” *Name changed because she works for the local government and did not wish to be identified

India’s deadly drought: Villagers in Mokhada battle sleepless nights, snakes in search of water

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51927197.cms" />Maharashtra is in deep crisis. The elixir of life, Water, is missing from the state. Drought-hit Maharashtra is facing one of the biggest water crises in decades. 
 
The drought in Maharashtra is amplifying as days are passing by. The water in reservoirs of the state are not enough to meet the demands of parched people of the state as 17 huge reservoirs of Maharashtra are left with just 2 billion cubic metres (bcm) of water against the requirement of 45 bcm. 
 
As per the Central Water Commission (CWC), water levels in Maharashtra’s reservoirs were slightly over 30% of their full capacities in January, imagine what would be the situation now with no rainfall expected for 2 more months. 
 
The CWC has stated that between January and now, water levels in all 91 big reservoirs in the country, including Maharashtra, almost halved from a cumulative 44% of capacity to 23%. The reservoirs now together hold about 36 bcm vis-a-vis their total capacity of about 158 bcm. 
 
Moreover, only 3% water is left in dams in the Marathwada region. 
 
Eight of the region’s 11 major dams are at dead storage level, meaning water from these dams cannot flow out and has to be lifted. 
 
The situation is becoming tense as an 11-year-old girl died of heatstroke while collecting water from a village pump. 
 
Here’s an overview:

The Drought Series: Maharashtra’s drought explained

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51928117.cms" /> 
The Indian state of Maharashtra is home to 11 major irrigation dams, which normally is enough for the state. However, because of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Maharashtras-drought-explained/articleshow/51927097.cms">severe drought </a>that the state is facing, 7 such dams have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Key-reservoirs-in-India-dont-have-enough-water/articleshow/51825053.cms">no water left</a> in them. 
 
These seven major irrigation dams that have faced the wrath of draught this year are Jayakwadi, Purna Siddheshwar, Majalgaon, Manjra, Lower Terna, Mannar and Sina Kolegaon, and are located in Aurangabad, Parbhani, Beed, Nanded and Osmanabad districts. 
 
The latest data has come from Water Resources Department for the week ending April 15th, and says that the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Maharashtra-faces-the-tough-challenge-of-using-water-either-for-drinking-or-for-industries/articleshow/51892493.cms"> parched region of Marathwada</a> has only 3% of water stock available, counting all the 814 major, medium and minor irrigation projects. 
 
To fight the acute water scarcity that several parts of the state are facing, the department has deployed 4,356 tankers across Maharashtra that will supply drinking water to the dwellers. 
 
Other than this, a 50-wagon water train, called Jaldoot, has also reached Latur, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bombay-High-Court-says-no-IPL-matchesin-drought-hit-Maharashtra-after-April-30/articleshow/51812532.cms">worst-hit area</a>. It carries 25 lakh litres of water, in addition to the 70 lakh litres that has already been delivered by train to Latur residents. 
 
<a href="https://s.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2015-03-23/6d9dd230-d117-11e4-a8a4-d76d47faa484_23drought.jpg">Image source</a>

Drought-hit Maharashtra dams have no water left for irrigation

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51812562.cms" />The <keyword id="48485" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bombay-high-court">Bombay High Court</keyword> has ordered the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> to shift matches of the ongoing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+Premier+League&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) out of Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30. 
 However, it has acknowledged the contributions of Rs 5 Crores each from the <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> and Rising Pune Supergiants franchises and 64 lakh litres of water from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> to the city of Latur in the Marathwada region of the state. This means that 13 matches, including the final on May 29, cannot be held in Maharashtra. 
 
While Maharashtra continues to suffer from severe drought, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> told the Bombay High Court that shifting matches out of the state was not feasible. This was mainly due to concerns over financial <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> and the brand values of the defending IPL champions MI and new entrant RPS. 
 
However, the High Court has ruled that the matches cannot go ahead beyond the end of April. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=BCCI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">BCCI</a> will now have to decide on alternate venues for the concerned matches from May 1. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Bombay High Court says no IPL matches
in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30

<ul><li>A majority of votes in Jalna, one of Maharashtra’s 48 constituencies, have gone to Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) <keyword id="2177302" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raosaheb-Danve">Raosaheb Danve</keyword> in every <keyword id="43573" type="EVENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Election">general election</keyword> since 1999. </li><li>Bidding for his fifth consecutive term in the <keyword id="3393746" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Election-2019">general election 2019</keyword>, the area’s water scarcity and growing pressure from the Indian National Congress’ (INC) campaign might not make it a very easy win this time around. </li><li>The water crisis has gotten so bad that people had to cancel marriages and Jalna is often cited as one of the worst hit parts by the drought in Maharashtra. </li></ul> A majority of votes in Jalna, one of Maharashtra’s 48 constituencies, have gone to Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Raosaheb Danve in every general election since 1999. Bidding for his fifth consecutive term in the general election 2019, the area’s water scarcity and growing pressure from the Indian National Congress’ (INC) campaign might not make it a very easy win this time around. He was able to grab 591,428 votes in 2014 against his Congress opponent, Vilas Autade. An <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/shiv-sena-leader-eyes-senior-bjp-mans-jalna-seat/articleshow/68446566.cms">initial standoff with the party’s regional ally</a> Shiv Sena threatened Danve’s chances but it was settled soon enough. There are still 20 candidates contesting for the Jalna constituency. Pressure from Congress Danve is facing resentment from the citizens in the area — who are mostly farmers — with respect to the <a href="https://www.indiawaterportal.org/regions/jalna-district">water scarcity</a> in the region. Since being elected in 2014, the water crisis has gotten so bad that people had to <a href="https://www.scoopwhoop.com/This-Is-How-Bad-The-Water-Crisis-In-Marathwada-Is/#.rchw9cxyu">cancel</a> marriages and Jalna is often cited as one of the worst hit parts by the drought in Maharashtra. In fact, people actually ran to get in line for water in the middle one of Danve’s speeches on the general election campaign trail when a boy in the crowd <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/maharashtra/news/paani-aaya-call-washes-away-poll-meet-in-dry-jalna/articleshow/68759983.cms">announced</a>, “Paani aaya (Water is here).” Even as late as last week, people in the area were protesting on the street — blocking roads and burning tyres — to raise awareness around the issue of their constituency’s erratic water supply. <div type="ExtQuote" text="We are cornering the BJP over the issues of water scarcity, drought in the region, unemployment and non-fulfilment of promises made in the run up to the last elections." auname="Shaikh Mahmood, City Congress president"></div>

 Shaikh Mahmood, City Congress president BJP’s confidence District BJP President, Rameshwar Bhandarge, <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/bjp-congress-in-direct-fight-in-jalna-lok-sabha-seat-119041101037_1.html">maintains</a> that the polls in Jalna will be a “cakewalk” for Danve because of all the development that he’s brought about in the constituency. <div type="ExtQuote" text="We have a good organisation here and we have done micro planning on 2,000 polling booths in the constituency." auname="Rameshwar Bhandarage, District BJP President"></div>
 That being said, Jalna is one of Maharashtra’s least prosperous regions only accruing an income of ₹403.91 billion in comparison to more developed areas like Pune that accounts for ₹2.25 trillion of the gross district value. Jalna’s Human Development India (HDI) <a href="https://www.livemint.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections/focus-on-farm-crisis-jobs-as-14-maharashtra-seats-vote-1555956351742.html">rank</a> isn’t too impressive either. It’s considered to be ‘low’ at 0.663 in comparison to its counterparts — Pune, Raigad and Mumbai — that come under the ‘very high’ category with HDI’s 0.8 and above. The Jalna constituency is important for the polls in Maharashtra since its a hub for sugar manufacturing and home to around 180,000 voters deciding the fate of 8 eight assembly segments.

One of the driest parts of India has sent the same guy to Parliament for twenty years

MS <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/ms-dhoni-becomes-ceo-for-a-day-and-nails-it-like-a-boss/articleshow/58006272.cms">Dhoni</a> has proved his mettle as one of the most successful player in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/sports/what-the-ipl-can-teach-us-about-investing/articleshow/58225290.cms">Indian Premier League</a> (<keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>), playing for <keyword id="13886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword> (<keyword id="122828" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="CSK">CSK</keyword>) and leading them to victory twice. However, after CSK and <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> were suspended from the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/sports/IPL-Sponsorships-How-it-changedhands-and-the-drama-associated-with-it/articleshow/51726653.cms">IPL</a> for two seasons - 2016 and 2017 - by the <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> after it found them involved in a spot-fixing scandal, Dhoni went on to play for the Rising Pune Supergiants. Next year, the ban on CSK and RR would be lifted and CSK’s yellow brigade would want Dhoni back on their side. However, there is one more team that wants Dhoni to wear its jersey in the next <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/sports/how-does-ipl-make-money-lets-find-it-here/articleshow/58111135.cms">IPL</a>, and that team is <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> Knight Riders (<keyword id="6354544" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="KKR">KKR</keyword>), owned by Bollywood superstar <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/topic/shah-rukh-khan">Shah Rukh Khan</a>. Khan has said that he is ready to sell off his pants to get hold of Dhoni for KKR. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bombay-High-Court-says-no-IPL-matchesin-drought-hit-Maharashtra-after-April-30/articleshow/51812532.cms">Bombay High Court says no IPL matches in drought-hit Maharashtra after April 30</a> Dhoni has been in news ever since this season of IPL started, first for being removed as the captain of his team and then for not enjoying a great stint. However, his performance in the last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad made people notice him returning to form.

SRK wants Dhoni for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2018

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51979805.cms" />India is reeling under severe drought conditions and heat wave, breaking past records. Maharashtra, Telangana are among 10 states that are reeling under severe humanitarian crisis due to water scarcity. 
 
Another such state is Karnataka, which is going through worst drought in 10 years. Around 3.1 crore people and 22759 villages are drought struck, leading to a massive exodus of people. Although an exodus during summers is a common phenomenon in Karnataka, this time the figures have intensified and are alarming at around 3-4 lakh, including Hyderabad. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Telangana-is-facing-its-3rd-consecutive-drought-coupled-with-a-heatwave/articleshow/51931861.cms">The Drought Series: Telangana is facing its 3rd consecutive drought coupled with a heatwave</a> 
 
People in Karnataka are digging up wells, areas near rivers in search of water. Such is the situation that they are even exploiting water for the cattle. 
 
In Bengaluru, wells have been dug as deep as 1,200 ft and there has been a six-fold dip in water table in urban areas and three-fold fall in rural Karnataka since 2005. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-Drought-Series-Maharashtras-drought-explained/articleshow/51927097.cms">The Drought Series: Maharashtra’s drought explained</a> 
 
Areas such as Mysuru, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Kalaburagi, Karwar, etc are staring at worst days to come since beside the rapid depletion of ground water, whatever water is left is also contaminated. 
 
The state government has stepped up efforts in this regard and is sending water tankers, however, there are still many villages who are yet to receive the aid. 
 
Even the Centre has approved Rs 723 crore for Karnataka, against the demand of Rs.1,417 crore for damage to the rabi or winter crop due to widespread drought. 
 
The repeat woes of Karnataka are resonating with the other states too. 
 
Here’s an overview: 
 
 
(Images: Indiatimes)

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