By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Water crisis is looming over certain major urban and industrial centers across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat due to delayed rain besides the worries of farmers who are completely dependent upon the Mansoon rain for harvesting of their crops and seeds.
It’s the end of June and rain has not started in Maharashtra which is bothering people and therefore special prayer ‘Salatu-Al-Istasqah’ is being observed in various cities in the state calling for rain to the Almighty.
In Vidharba, one of the main cotton-growing regions in Maharashtra, the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti led by Kishore Tiwari has begun sounding alarm bells for farmers. According to Tiwari, buoyed by a few showers in the start of June and heavy rain on June 17, farmers in the region went ahead and completed almost 90% sowing operations and are now staring at the prospect of re-sowing for which farmers do not have funds.
“At present, temperatures at around 42 degrees in Vidarbha and there is very little possibility of germination. There are no quality replacement seeds and there are predictions of no rains till July 1. Maharashtra is facing the prospect of its worst drought of the decade,” he said.
According to government data, water in the reservoirs would be available for a month. If the monsoon does not revive, most cities and towns, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Aurangabad, would face acute water scarcity. A government official said that only 20 per cent water was available in major reservoirs while there was zero availability in 20 other projects.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who took stock of the situation last week, has ordered that all existing water resources must be used sparingly and utilized for drinking purposes only.
Special Prayer
Meanwhile, on Sunday a special prayer “Salatu-al-Istisqah” was organized by Ahle Hadees Jama’at (Mominpura ) in the Bycullah Mosque of Agripada, Mumbai. The prayer was attended by hundreds of people including businessmen, senior citizens and children followed by supplication calling for rain to provide relief to Human beings, other animals and plants caused due to it withholding.
A short sermon was delivered by Maulana Abdus Salam Salfi, President of Mumbai unit of Ahle Hadees Jama’at. In his eloquent sermon he urged the gathering to repent for their sins as the decree from the Almighty descends according to the deeds of people presented before the Almighty.
He tried to guide them saying,” Blessings are met with the obedience and punishment is caused due to disobedience and defiance of the Almighty. Withholding of rain is due to our disobedience towards the Almighty and hence we must revert back and increase doing good work at the same time should forbid evil doing which might anger our Lord.”
While mentioning the roots of the special prayer for rain he informed the gathering that such prayers were held in Islamic history at the time of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions fourteen hundred years ago, which has now become a precedence for the society.
After the sermon he led the congregational prayer which was followed by joint supplication calling for rain. Many people were seen weeping during the prayer and supplication remembering their sins and fearing punishment from the Almighty.
There are reports of observing of such prayers from other cities and towns across the Maharashtra in anticipation of rain so as to overcome drought like situation prevailing due to delayed rain.