Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Water Crisis Looms as Manjara Reservoir Falls to 16% Storage
Imagine a giant bathtub that stores the water people in some towns need for drinking and farming.
This bathtub is called the Manjara reservoir.
Right now, the bathtub is only 16% full, which is almost empty.
It is empty because the rain that usually fills it during June and July never came this year.
The towns of Ambajogai, Latur and 28 nearby villages get their drinking water from this reservoir, so people are very worried.
Farmers who use the water for their crops are worried too.
Some farmers spent a lot of money to lay pipes that bring water to their fields.
The reservoir was built in 1980 to help farmers, but now it mostly supplies drinking water to towns.
The dam has only been completely full 17 times in the last 47 years.
Everyone is hoping the retreating monsoon brings more rain before the water runs out.
Manjara reservoir, the primary drinking water source for Ambajogai, Latur and 28 surrounding villages, has only 16% live storage.
June and July, the peak southwest monsoon months, passed without significant rainfall in the reservoir's catchment area.
The reservoir holds 75.905 MCM of water against a full capacity of 224.093 MCM, leaving nearly 84% of storage unfilled.
Built in 1980 mainly for irrigation, the dam has reached full capacity only 17 times in the past 47 years.
Farmers from nearly 70 villages who invested in irrigation pipelines fear their investments may be futile unless retreating monsoon rains revive the reservoir.
- Who
- Residents of Ambajogai, Latur and 28 surrounding villages, along with farmers from nearly 70 villages in Beed, Latur and Dharashiv districts.
- What
- A water crisis looms as the Manjara reservoir, the region's main source of drinking water, holds just 16% of its live storage capacity.
- When
- After June and July, the peak southwest monsoon months, passed without significant rainfall; reported as the core monsoon spell was ending.
- Where
- The Manjara reservoir region across Beed, Latur and Dharashiv districts in Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- Poor rainfall in the catchment area left water levels alarmingly low, threatening drinking water supply schemes and irrigation for farmers.
Prioritise Drinking Water
Protect Farm Irrigation
Manjara reservoir water allocation
Prioritise Drinking Water
The reservoir should prioritise drinking water supply because over the last two decades it has become the principal drinking water source for Ambajogai, Latur, Kaij, Dharur, Kalamb and other towns.
Protect Farm Irrigation
The dam was built in 1980 primarily for irrigation, and farmers from nearly 70 villages who invested heavily in pipelines for irrigation fear their investments may prove futile if water levels do not improve.
- Current live storage
- 16%
- Water currently held
- 75.905 million cubic metres (MCM)
- Full capacity
- 224.093 MCM
- Storage unfilled
- Nearly 84%
- Year constructed
- 1980
- Times reached full capacity
- 17 times in 47 years
- Affected towns and villages
- Ambajogai, Latur, Kaij, Dharur, Kalamb and 28 villages
- Farmers' villages with irrigation pipelines
- Nearly 70 villages