Maharashtra and Marathwada: lessons from the 2015 drought

In 2015, an El Niño year, Marathwada in central Maharashtra went through one of its worst water crises. It is a useful lesson for 2026.

What happened. IMD's Monsoon 2015 report says India's season rain was 86% of normal, the second deficient year in a row after 2014. In July 2015, Marathwada was one of only four subdivisions with scanty rain, meaning 60–99% below normal. By the end of September the region was about 40% short (IMD data as reported by SANDRP).

Water by train. By April 2016, Latur city had so little water that Indian Railways arranged two 50-wagon tanker rakes, each wagon holding about 55,000 litres, according to the Press Information Bureau. The Jaldoot train made its 111th and last run in August 2016, after delivering about 2.79 crore litres, as reported by the Indian Express and PTI.

What research found. A 2016 study in Current Science by Ashwini Kulkarni, Sulochana Gadgil and S.K. Patwardhan found that the 2015 rain deficit was within the range Marathwada had seen in the past. They linked the severe impacts mainly to how water resources and rain-fed crops were managed, even though forecasts and El Niño signals could have prompted earlier preparation.

2026. IMD figures show Marathwada got no rain at all from 1 to 17 October, against a normal of 53.8 mm.

The lesson. Forecasts give warning. Saving water early, planning crops for the water you have and following official advisories matter more than the forecast itself.

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