Maharashtra Drought Concerns Put Railway Water Conservation in Focus; Amla Reservoir Capacity Rises 3.5 Times
Reported by Amit Singh
Nagpur, 10th October 2026: Central Railway has increased the water storage capacity of Amla Railway Reservoir in Nagpur Division by 3.5 times through desilting and repair work, as Maharashtra faces concerns over a possible drought situation following inadequate rainfall.
The reservoir’s storage capacity has increased from 9.375 crore litres to 33.195 crore litres, adding 23.82 crore litres. The work included removing around 2.38 lakh cubic metres of silt, cleaning the reservoir and repairing associated structures to improve water storage and quality.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of Maharashtra’s experience during the severe drought of 2016, when special ‘Jaldoot’ trains transported more than 24 crore litres of water to Latur in over 100 trips. The first train, carrying 10 wagons with a combined capacity of 50,000 litres, departed from Miraj on April 11, 2016.
This year, the Maharashtra government has declared drought in 265 talukas following inadequate rainfall. Central teams have been visiting affected regions to assess agricultural losses and determine the assistance required.
At Amla Railway Reservoir, desilting was carried out over an area of approximately 300 metres by 198.5 metres, with an average depth of four metres. Repair work covered the intake well, plastering over 100 square metres and a 20-metre pathway, along with gates and other associated structures.
The cleaning and maintenance work is also linked to railway measures for improving drinking water quality, following directions from the Railway Board and action taken in response to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on drinking water quality on the Railways.
