Nashik: The numbers of villages and hamlets being fed drinking water by tankers has crossed the 500-mark. The count was reached by the middle of February.The total number of tankers providing water to villages and hamlets has now reached 131 tankers. On January 27, this number was at 122.A senior official from the district administration said the water shortage in many villages has gone from bad to worse. " The number of villages that are facing drought, and the number of tankers that will be needed to supply water to these are both expected to go up," the official said.“For example, Sinnar taluka has been the worst hit so far, with 33 tankers providing drinking water to a total of 185 villages and hamlets. Yeola taluka has the second highest number of tankers, providing water to 76 villages and hamlets,” the official added.Other areas threw up similarly high numbers.Baglan has 21 tankers feeding 29 villages; Nandgaon has 15 tankers for 124 villages; Deola has six tankers and Chandwad has two tankers providing water to villagers.Several areas in the district have experienced a noticeable dip in groundwater levels. Other sources, such as percolation tanks, have been reportedly going dry too.Overall, residents of seven talukas out of the district's total of 15 talukas are currently reliant on tankers for their water supply. The list of suppliers includes 110 private tankers and 21 government tankers.The administration expects the number of tankers to go beyond 250.“The number of tankers as well as the number of villages relying on tankers are expected to go up during peak summer. Arrangements will be made to ensure everyone receives water,” the officer said.Meanwhile, dam storage levels have dipped to 38% across the 23 major and minor dams in the district. The dams currently hold 25.25 thousand million cubic feet of water as against the 36.84 TMC or 56% storage they held during the same time last year.The Gangapur Dam complex, which provides water to the Nashik Municipal Corporation, currently has 58% of its stock. Last year, around the same time, it held 74% of its water.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nashik headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.