In the western state of Maharashtra, farmers struggled to find water for thirsty animals and crops.
“We have to source water tankers from nearby villages as water reserves, lakes and rivers have dried up,” said Rajesh Chandrakant, a resident of Beed, one of the worst-hit districts.
“Farmers only get water every three days for their livestock.” Raghunath Tonde, a farmer with a family of seven, said the area has suffered worsening shortages for five years.
“There is no drinking water available for days on end and we get one tanker every three days for the entire village,” Tonde told AFP.
“We are scared for our lives and livelihood,” he added.
The Hindustan Times newspaper said many Beed residents had stopped washing and cleaning clothes due to the water shortage.
More than 40 per cent of India faces drought this year, experts from Gandhinagar city’s Indian Institute of Technology, warned last month.
The annual monsoon — which normally brings much needed rain to South Asia — is running a week behind schedule and is only expected to hit India’s southern tip on June 6, the weather department said.
And private forecaster Skymet has said there will be less rain than average this year.
The Indian peninsula has seen a drastic change in rainfall patterns over the past decade, marked by frequent droughts, floods and sudden storms.
3 June 2019
