Maharashtra declares 265 talukas drought-hit; crop loan restructuring, energy concessions announced | Today’s news
The Maharashtra government on Saturday said 265 of the state’s 358 taluks are drought-affected, covering nearly 74 percent of the state, and announced a package of measures to help farmers and rural communities.
The measures include crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, deferral of agriculture related loan recovery and electricity concessions for agricultural pumps in the affected areas.
Fadnavis orders immediate assessment of crop loss
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed district collectors to immediately start assessing crop damage in drought-hit talukas. The government said farmers would remain at the center of its relief and recovery efforts.
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According to a government resolution issued late on Friday, 265 affected taluks are spread across 32 districts.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said that the extent of financial assistance to farmers will be determined after a detailed assessment at the field level.
The state activated “Trigger-1” under the 2016 Drought Management Code, updated in 2020 to formally recognize drought conditions and initiate relief measures.
According to the state’s drought management framework, Trigger-1 is activated when precipitation is more than 25 percent below normal and is accompanied by a dry spell of at least 21 days.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the most affected talukas.
A report submitted by the Agriculture Commissioner identified drought-like conditions in 265 talukas in 32 districts citing lack of rainfall and other factors since June.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of affected taluks at 74. It is followed by Amravati with 56, Nashik with 49, Nagpur with 39, Pune with 35 and Thane with 12.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division includes Jalna, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts. Buldhana, Amravati, Akola, Washim and Yavatmal are part of Amravati division.
Nagpur division includes Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts.
Meanwhile, 49 taluks in Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Ahilyanagar districts have been included in the drought-hit list. Another 35 taluks in Pune, Solapur, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts have also been declared affected.
The list includes 12 taluks of Thane revenue division, including one in Raigad, three in Ratnagiri and eight in Sindhudurg.
Crop damage surveys including photographs and GPS data
District Collectors have been directed to start crop loss surveys in all affected taluks. Officials will collect photos and GPS coordinates of the surveyed areas as part of the documentation process.
The findings will be submitted to the State Government through the Commissioner of Agriculture after the completion of the surveys.
The government has announced several immediate relief measures, including land revenue concessions, crop loan restructuring and deferment of agriculture-related loan recovery.
Farmers will also get concessions on electricity bills for agricultural pumps in drought-affected areas.
Energy bill relief extended to larger agricultural pumps
The government resolution states that electricity bills for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 horsepower have already been waived off. The newly announced concession will cover agricultural pumps with an output of more than 7.5 horsepower in drought-affected areas.
The relief package also allows examination fees to be waived for students of schools and colleges in the affected areas.
The government has further directed the authorities to relax the norms under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme so that the maximum possible number of jobs can be carried out and employment opportunities are available in the drought-affected regions.
Water tanks, food and feed equipment
The government has ordered deployment of water tankers wherever necessary and directed authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply to agricultural pumps in villages facing water scarcity.
Arrangements will also be made to provide sufficient food to farmers and agricultural laborers whose livelihood depends on agriculture.
In addition, the state will provide enough fodder for farm animals in the affected areas.
Water conservation projects will be implemented while measures will be taken to ensure drinking water for people and livestock, the government said.
Separate order for crop loss compensation
A government order issued on Saturday said a separate government resolution would be issued regarding financial assistance for crop losses suffered by farmers in 265 drought-hit talukas.
Assistance will be determined after completion of the prescribed assessment and administrative procedures.
The opposition questions the delay in declaring a drought
Opposition parties criticized the state government’s decision, claiming that the drought declaration came late and that the conditions on the ground were more severe than what was stated in the official notification.
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Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said Chief Minister Fadnavis had earlier accused the opposition of politicizing the drought issue. He argued that the government had now officially declared a drought under Trigger-1, even though the opposition said the situation on the ground was already worse than the conditions prescribed in Trigger-3.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the government’s immediate priority should now be to implement the relief measures announced and ensure that every affected farmer gets help.
Thackeray, who is touring drought-hit areas in Marathwada, said his party had been demanding the declaration of drought for some time and argued that the decision should have been taken earlier.
