How Ganesh idols on a dry Andhra riverbed reflect southern India’s water crisis

A poignant image from Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district has drawn attention to the worsening water shortage in parts of southern India, after devotees were forced to leave Ganesh idols on the dry bed of the Chitravati River when they found no water for the customary immersion ritual.

The incident was reported from Puttlur in Anantapur district, where the Chitravati River has run dry, leaving long stretches of exposed sand where water would ordinarily flow.

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With no water in the riverbed, devotees marking Ganesh Chaturthi reportedly had little choice but to place the idols on the dry riverbed rather than perform the customary immersion.

Water stress hits rural Andhra

The images present a stark departure from the traditional end to the festival, when devotees bid farewell to Lord Ganesha by immersing idols in rivers, lakes and other water bodies.

Andhra Pradesh has seen considerable variation in rainfall, with several areas coming under water stress after periods of deficient rainfall. Lower rainfall can reduce water levels in rivers, reservoirs and tanks, while also restricting groundwater recharge.

The problem can be particularly acute in areas that rely heavily on groundwater.

According to the latest information, nearly 60% of borewells in the affected area have reportedly gone dry, putting additional pressure on the water sources still available for farming and household needs.

Climate variability, including the effects of El Nino, can influence rainfall patterns across India. However, linking a specific local drought entirely to climate change or El Nino would require detailed meteorological and hydrological analysis.

The drying of the Chitravati also highlights the importance of managing local water resources. Lower rainfall, shrinking surface-water availability, groundwater extraction and inadequate storage capacity can together worsen water shortages.

Study flags southern drought hotspots

The situation in Anantapur is part of a wider pattern of water stress across southern India. A new study examining the country's weather from 1971 to 2022 has revealed that southern India is drying the fastest, with the most persistent drought hotspots along the eastern coast.

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The study, “Evolution of Climate Extremes Over the Indian Subcontinent Using a Revised CEI”, was published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Climatology and made public recently.

It was carried out by researchers at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Atria University, Bengaluru, and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).

The analysis also highlights that the land area hit by temperature extremes has expanded by 20 per cent to 40 per cent per decade across central and northwestern India between 1971 and 2022. This has turned scattered hotspots in the 1980s into broad, continuous zones of heat stress by the 2010s.

More Karnataka taluks face drought

The drought situation is also being assessed across neighbouring Karnataka, where more than 200 taluks are likely to be included in the drought-affected list as the government assesses them in phases based on prescribed criteria and ground-truthing, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Sunday.

He said 101 taluks were declared drought-affected in the first phase, followed by another 24. An additional 52 taluks are expected to be declared drought-affected in the next three to four days.

In the subsequent phase, ground-truthing will be undertaken in around 50 more taluks before a decision is taken based on the assessment, he added.

Rainfall deficit hits Telangana

Similarly, the Telangana Assembly last week passed a resolution urging the Centre to provide a Rs 20,000 crore package, among others, to deal with the impact of El Nino which resulted in rainfall deficit in the state.

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Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who moved the resolution, said the state received only 536.6 mm of rainfall during June 1 to September 16 against the normal rainfall of 664.5 mm.

Observing that 19 of the 33 districts in the state are rain deficit, he said normal area under cultivation during monsoon is 139.29 lakh acres. However, crops were cultivated in only 88 per cent of it.

He said only 241 TMC of water was available in the major reservoirs of the state as on September 15 against their capacity of 585 TMC. The water storage last year was 497 TMC.