The Maharashtra government on Saturday declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.
The government will announce financial assistance for crop losses after the prescribed procedure.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued late on Friday, 265 talukas spread across 32 districts cover 74 per cent of the state. At 74, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of drought-affected talukas.
Another government order issued on Saturday said that a separate GR will be issued on financial assistance for crop losses suffered by farmers in the 265 talukas after the prescribed procedure.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed district collectors to initiate crop-damage assessments immediately and assured that farmers remain the centre of the government’s relief efforts.
Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar said the actual financial assistance to farmers will be decided after the ground-level assessment.
The state government has activated ‘Trigger-1’ under the Drought Management Code 2016 (updated in 2020) to declare drought conditions and initiate relief.
Trigger-1 is the first stage in the state’s drought framework, activated by a rainfall deficit of more than 25 per cent combined with a prolonged dry spell of 21 days.
A report submitted by the Agriculture Commissioner found drought-like conditions in the 265 talukas across 32 districts due to rainfall deficit and other factors since June.
As per the report, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of 74 drought-affected talukas, followed by Amravati with 56, Nashik with 49, Nagpur with 39, Pune with 35 and Thane with 12, including one in Raigad, three in Ratnagiri and eight in Sindhudurg, have been included in the list..
The government has directed district collectors to begin crop-loss assessments in the affected talukas and collect photographs and GPS coordinates of the surveyed areas to document crop conditions. The reports are to be submitted to the government through the agriculture commissioner.
The relief measures include land revenue concessions, restructuring of crop loans, postponement of recovery of agriculture-related loans and concessions in agricultural pump electricity bills.
The GR stated that electricity bills of agricultural pumps up to 7.5 horsepower had already been waived, and the newly announced concession would apply to pumps above that capacity in the affected areas.
Other measures include waiving examination fees for school and college students, relaxing norms under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to enable maximum works, deploying water tankers and ensuring uninterrupted power supply to agricultural pumps in villages affected by water scarcity.
Arrangements will also be made to ensure foodgrains for farmers and labourers dependent on agriculture, and adequate fodder for livestock; water conservation works and arrangements for drinking water for people and livestock will also be undertaken, the government stated.
Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne said officials will conduct accurate and transparent panchnamas (crop-loss surveys), undertake crop-cutting experiments on an urgent basis and ensure that farmers receive benefits under crop insurance and various government schemes.
“It is extremely painful to watch standing crops being lost before the eyes of farmers. Therefore, we do not want to stop at merely declaring drought, but want to ensure that actual assistance reaches farmers,” Bharne said.
The Opposition parties, meanwhile, questioned the need for procedure in an emergency and demanded the timeline and quantum of financial assistance for farmers.
State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal demanded that the government deposit Rs 1 lakh per hectare into farmers’ bank accounts as drought compensation and conduct panchnamas later, citing upcoming Dussehra and Diwali festivals.
He demanded a loan waiver, free seeds and fertilisers for the rabi season, adequate fodder and cattle feed, complete waiver of educational fees for students and separate financial assistance for agricultural labourers.
“The important question is how much actual assistance farmers will receive and when,” Sapkal said, adding that the government should take decisions on a “war footing”.
Sapkal claimed the present drought is more severe than the 1972 one and urged the government to formulate a comprehensive plan.
NCP (SP) general secretary Mahesh Tapase questioned the drought relief package, pointing out that the financial compensation for crop losses has been deferred until completion of field surveys.
“The government says compensation for the farmers’ actual losses will come later, after further paperwork and survey,” he said.
He also referred to NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s September 16 letter to Fadnavis, in which he had sought an immediate relief package of at least Rs 50,000 per hectare along with other measures.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the government must now focus on implementing relief measures and ensure that every affected farmer gets assistance.
Thackeray said his party had been demanding the declaration of drought for some time and the decision should have been taken earlier.
Thackeray on Saturday launched his two-day tour of drought-hit areas in the state. He first visited Solapur, followed by Dharashiv and Latur districts. He will also visit Nanded, Hingoli, Parbhani, Jalna and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
“This drought or Super El Nino will not only affect the agriculture sector but urban areas as well. It will affect the entire Maharashtra and the country,” he said The Kisan Sabha stated that the government order lacked adequate measures to provide direct relief to affected farmers.
It demanded that farmers affected by two consecutive failed kharif seasons be provided concrete financial assistance, including loan waivers and compensation based on crop insurance coverage.
As per government data, the state recorded an 18.8 per cent rainfall deficit, receiving actual rainfall of 755.9 mm from June to September 18, compared to its average of 932.3 mm, amid the El Nino phenomenon.
