📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Afughat
Agriculture
Water Scarcity Puts Silk Farming in Dharashiv at Risk
✍️ News18 Marathi
🗓 21 Oct 2026, 07:01 AM
👁 7
Farmers in Dharashiv district are facing a severe water shortage that threatens their silk cultivation this season.
Dharashiv district in Maharashtra is witnessing an acute water shortage that has jeopardised the ongoing silk‑rearing season. Local mulberry growers report that irrigation channels have run dry, leaving the mulberry saplings, the primary food source for silkworms, without adequate moisture.
The shortage is expected to reduce cocoon yields significantly, putting the livelihoods of hundreds of small‑scale silk farmers at stake. Silk farming, a niche but income‑generating activity in the region, supports ancillary trades such as weaving and processing, amplifying the economic impact.
District officials have acknowledged the problem and said they are exploring emergency water‑release measures from nearby reservoirs. However, experts warn that without a long‑term water‑management plan, the sector could suffer recurring setbacks, urging the state government to prioritise irrigation infrastructure for sericulture zones.
The shortage is expected to reduce cocoon yields significantly, putting the livelihoods of hundreds of small‑scale silk farmers at stake. Silk farming, a niche but income‑generating activity in the region, supports ancillary trades such as weaving and processing, amplifying the economic impact.
District officials have acknowledged the problem and said they are exploring emergency water‑release measures from nearby reservoirs. However, experts warn that without a long‑term water‑management plan, the sector could suffer recurring setbacks, urging the state government to prioritise irrigation infrastructure for sericulture zones.