Growers grapple with financial burden as water tankers become only lifeline for citrus trees
Uprooted sweet lime trees in an orchard in Tadsona village in Maharashtra’s Beed district. Photo: Vitthal Mane The scarcity of water in Maharashtra has dealt a death blow to once-vibrant sweet lime orchards of Marathwada region. Farmers in the regions are filled with bitter despair as they are forced to abandon their crops due to the unrelenting drought conditions gripping the region.
Maharashtra is one of the largest producers of sweet limes in India. These orchards have long been the lifeblood of countless families, their verdant canopy standing as a testament to years of toil and tradition.
Between 2012 and 2016, the Marathwada region consecutively faced drought or drought-like situations. In November 2018, the state government also declared droughts in 20,000 villages across 26 districts.
Read more: In rain-shadow Marathwada, everyone loves tankers
In this battle against nature’s fury on the warming planet, the sweet lime orchards have become unfortunate casualties. The thirsty citrus trees demand a steady supply of water to flourish. After years of debt to maintain the fruit trees, the farmers can no longer afford to borrow more money as groundwater tables plummet and irrigation options dry up.
In the desolate landscape of Tadsona village in Maharashtra’s Beed district, Vitthal Mane stands amidst the remnants of his shattered dreams. With a heavy heart, he has torn apart his once-thriving sweet lime orchard and uprooted all the trees.
For six painstaking years, Mane poured his sweat and toil into nurturing his orchard. With an investment of Rs 4 lakh and the tender care of a dedicated horticulturist, he nurtured over 600 plants spread across three acres of his land.
This year was supposed to mark the fruition of his efforts, with the fruits expected to fetch him a handsome sum of Rs 6 lakh, making a profit of Rs 2 lakh.
However, the merciless grip of drought on the district suffocated these plans. The once-promising orchard now stands as a stark testament to his shattered hopes, leaving Mane burdened not just emotionally but also financially.
“The plants had blossomed and the buds were on the verge of yielding fruits. If only I had enough water to sustain them through the scorching summer, I could have ensured their survival. But the cruel reality of water scarcity coupled with my frail financial state has forced me to destroy the plants, as I cannot pour more money into their upkeep,” he said.
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The farmer spent Rs 1.5 lakh on a borewell in a desperate attempt to keep his orchard alive. But despite digging more than 100 metres into the unforgiving earth, he found no signs of water.
Like Mane, there are at least hundreds of farmers and horticulturists in the district or neighbouring areas who have already taken similar steps or are contemplating doing so. Lacking water for irrigation and even drinking, many are uprooting their livelihoods along with their sweet lime orchards.
Records from the water and sanitation department of the state government showed that as of April 4, 2024, a staggering 1,009 water tankers are currently deployed to provide water to six out of the eight districts in the Marathwada region. This marks a stark contrast from the same period last year, in 2023, when the region had no operational water tankers.
Dams in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) division currently hold less than 50 per cent of the water compared to the same period last year, according to water resources department.
The combined water storage across all major, medium and small dams was reported at 17.97 per cent on April 8, 2024 — a significant decrease from the 44.31 per cent recorded on April 3, 2023.
According to state government’s Groundwater Directorate Of Surveys & Development Agency, 245 out of the total 353 talukas in Maharashtra have experienced a decline in water levels. Between 2014 and 2019, the water levels plummeted by 1 to 3 metres across these talukas.
Read more: Swachh Bharat Mission: Water shortage drives people in Marathwada to open fields
The dire situation is evident in the farm of Dadarao Patil, located in Kadethan village of Paithan taluka in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Patil lamented that his seven-acre sweet lime orchard is now facing a similar fate as Mane’s. “During the droughts of 2012, 2013 and 2018, I relied on water from tankers to sustain my orchard,” he recounted, adding that he has already spent over Rs 2 lakh to ensure the survival of the orchard.
The horticulturist tends to orchards of varying ages, ranging from three to six years old. “The six-year-old plants have begun bearing fruits and need water every alternate day,” he explained. “The younger ones require watering twice a week. However, to ensure their survival throughout the scorching 90 days of summer, I will need Rs 5 lakh.”
Patil said he can’t afford to take on the loan, a sentiment shared by many others in the region. “Even if the orchards survive, I do not know if the returns could ensure my input costs are covered. I may have to take the extreme decision to destroy at least some of the trees,” he added.
Bhagwat Jadhav, another horticulturist from Kadethan village, lamented the absence of rain since the previous year, revealing that some farmers, like himself, have resorted to mortgaging gold for financial support. “All the ponds, bore wells, and dug wells have dried up completely. There is no alternative for fetching water other than through tankers,” he stated.
“Our orchards are drying up. I've resorted to watering them with tankers, spending Rs 800 per trip for 5,000 litres to irrigate an acre of orchard,” Jadhav said.
The farmer is using sugarcane residue for mulching to reduce the water requirement of the citrus trees. “Mulching helps restore moisture in the soil,” he said.
Mane expressed his frustration, asserting that the state government should urgently declare a drought as the situation worsens with the approaching peak of summer. On October 31, 2023, the state government declared drought in 42 talukas across 15 districts, including some in Marathwada.
However, the farmer admitted to harbouring little hope of help from authorities, citing the government’s refusal to declare their taluka drought-affected last year. “It's likely they'll repeat the same this year,” he sighed.
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