Maharashtra says 40 more taluks affected by drought, announces ₹5,000 aid to farmers

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared 40 more taluks in the drought-hit state and decided to deposit ₹5,000 crore in farmers’ bank accounts ahead of Diwali.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Another 40 regions are being added, drought measures will be introduced in all drought declared regions.”

He also warned cooperative societies, district banks, nationalized banks and microfinance companies against pressuring farmers to collect loans.

Mitigation measures

The government had earlier said that 265 taluks have been affected by drought. With the addition of another 40 taluks to the list, the total number has increased to 305. Trigger 1 and Trigger 2 have been used in these taluks, making them eligible for assistance as per National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) guidelines. The measures include complete waiver of examination fees for students in drought-hit talukas, without any eligibility criteria.

“The government will purchase fodder grown by farmers at a guaranteed price so that fodder is available for animals,” Mr. Fadnavis said, outlining the fodder policy.

Minister of State for Relief and Rehabilitation Makrand Jadhav Patil said the government has decided to introduce 12 measures to provide relief to farmers. These include land revenue waiver, crop loan restructuring, suspension of agriculture related loan recovery, exemption from current electricity bills for farm pumps and examination fee waiver for school and college students.

Water management

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule reiterated that tankers should only be used as a last resort to address water shortages. He directed officials to resume water supply schemes that had been shut down due to pending electricity bills or lack of transformers.

Mr. Bawankule, who chairs the cabinet sub-committee on drought, also sought suggestions from district collectors for district measures within 15 days.

“Before the drinking water situation becomes critical, wells where water is available should be acquired to overcome the water shortage. Water supply plans which are 75 to 80 percent complete should be completed on priority. Tanker App and GPS system should be launched to ensure proper and smooth water supply,” he said.

He urged the concerned districts to use the funds available under the 15th Finance Commission to clear the outstanding electricity bills. Other districts were directed to take steps to settle their dues under a one-time settlement system.

Meanwhile, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to suspend water supply in the city every Thursday from October 15. It will also ban the use of potable water for construction and initiate the closure of washing centers until the next monsoon.

“The state has received less rainfall due to the El Niño effect and as the El Niño effect is expected to continue till next year, it is necessary to manage the available water resources economically and in a very well-planned manner,” the PMC said in a statement.

The civic body’s decision follows a government resolution issued by the State Water Resources Department on October 6, which governs micro-planning of available water supplies in dams across the state based on availability and utilization. The resolution also called for measures to secure drinking water supplies and mitigate the effects of a possible drought-like situation.

Published – 15 Oct 2026 21:05 IST