Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Water Resources and Population Trends in Marathwada, Maharashtra

Climate variability, unsustainable agricultural practices, and overexploitation of groundwater resources - the main causes of the severe and worsening water crisis in Maharashtra's drought - prone Marathwada region. With an emphasis on fickle rainfall patterns, rising drought frequency, and the prevalence of water - intensive crops like sugarcane that intensify water scarcity, this study offers a thorough assessment of the region's water resource problems. The socioeconomic effects, such as agricultural hardship and an increase in farmer suicides, are also highlighted in the paper. This study looks at the success of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan campaign, which encourages rainwater harvesting, watershed development, and community - based water management as sustainable solutions and uses insights from the nearby Vidarbha region. Better awareness, technical training, aquifer regulation, irrigation efficiency, crop diversification, and climate adaptation planning are a few of the practical suggestions made by the study.