Sugarcane emerges as likely culprit in drought-hit Marathwada; growing cultivation of cash crop depleted groundwater

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Sugarcane requires 2,500mm of water and rainfall in Marathwada is between 500-700mm. The remaining 80 percent of water has been pumped out of groundwater for years now, causing a depletion of groundwater level so much that there is no water left to pump out, say experts

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Varsha Torgalkar

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