Pune, Maharashtra: The battle for water is intense at Undri village near Pune.
"We just get one tanker and it gets over in a few minutes; we wait hopelessly for the next tanker," says a local.
With no rains in sight, villagers are struggling with a 20 per cent water cut.
As one travels deeper into the sugar belt, among the most prosperous regions in the state, more signs of desperation are available to one's eyes.
Farmers like Pandurang Pawar have switched to growing bajra. The sugarcane crop which needs a lot of water, is being seen as a risk.
Pune's agricultural university is already appealing to farmers not to grow sugarcane this year.
"We rely completely on rain water for our farms, there is no other source of water available to us besides that," says Pandurang Pawar.
Rukmani Shinde, who grows vegetables on her two acre plot is worst hit.
For small farmers like her who live on the edge, a single failed crop means they have to go to the moneylender.
"We will be doomed if rains take too long," Rukmani says.
So, as is evident, the anxiety in the land of sugar barons, which gets the giant's share of state funding is a sign of how much worse it is in other parts of the state.
"We just get one tanker and it gets over in a few minutes; we wait hopelessly for the next tanker," says a local.
With no rains in sight, villagers are struggling with a 20 per cent water cut.
Farmers like Pandurang Pawar have switched to growing bajra. The sugarcane crop which needs a lot of water, is being seen as a risk.
Pune's agricultural university is already appealing to farmers not to grow sugarcane this year.
Advertisement
Rukmani Shinde, who grows vegetables on her two acre plot is worst hit.
Advertisement
"We will be doomed if rains take too long," Rukmani says.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Windows Systems Restarting, Throwing Blue Screen Of Death Due To This Error Microsoft Windows Outage: How To Resolve Dreaded 'Blue Screen Of Death' Bilkis Bano Convicts' Bail Pleas Dismissed. What Supreme Court Said Central Railways Jobs 2024: Applications For 2,424 Apprentice Posts Begin "Too Little Too Late": Ola CEO Slams Google For Slashing Maps' Fee Flights, Markets, Banks, Stock Exchange: Microsoft Outage Crippling Sectors Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.