Excessive use of water for sugarcane cultivation is taking Maharashtra towards a crisis, water expert Rajendra Singh has said. He made the statement during a webinar on "Climate change and water management" on Thursday, which was orgnised by Balasaheb Pawar study centre of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University.

"Once Maharashtra was known for its strong rural economy and farming. But in the past few years, excessive use of water for sugarcane cultivation has led to environmental imbalance in the state. In the future, Maharashtra will face a water crisis due to this," Singh, who is known as "Waterman of India", said. "There is ample amount of water available in Maharashtra, but the planning about its use is improper," he added.

"There is excessive sugarcane cultivation in irrigated lands, whereas the rain-dependent areas of agriculture are more and the farmers there are committing suicide. Hence every drop of rain needs to be stored and used with proper planning," Singh said.