Maharashtra declares 304 talukas drought affected amid monsoon deficit, orders immediate damage assessment
Mumbai, Oct 14 (IANS) In a major move to provide relief to the agrarian community facing severe agrarian distress, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday declared 304 talukas across the state as drought-affected.
The decision comes in the wake of significant rainfall deficits during the Kharif season, prompting the state administration to step in with immediate mitigation measures and financial aid.
State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Jadhav Patil announced that district collectors have been directed to initiate comprehensive and immediate panchanamas (crop damage assessments) across the affected regions to ensure timely compensation reaches impacted farmers.
Earlier, on September 26, the state government had designated 265 talukas under “Trigger-1” norms as drought-hit.
However, following a thorough review of continuous precipitation shortages and ground-level agricultural parameters, an additional 39 talukas qualifying under Trigger-1 and Trigger-2 criteria have been newly incorporated. This brings the total tally of drought-affected administrative blocks in the state to 304.
To alleviate the financial burden on farmers, farm labourers, and rural households living in the declared zones, the state government has rolled out 12 major concessions and welfare measures.
The state government has announced complete waiver of land revenue for farmers in the affected talukas, rescheduling and extension of repayment deadlines for agricultural loans, a temporary halt on all coercive loan recovery actions by financial institutions, substantial relief on current power bills for agricultural pumps, complete exemption of examination fees for school and college students belonging to distressed families, directives ensuring that power connections to agricultural pumps in drought-hit regions are not disconnected, easing of norms under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to swiftly generate manual work opportunities and deployment of water tankers to villages and remote hamlets experiencing acute drinking water shortages.
The state government has guaranteed sufficient distribution of essential food grains to farmers and farm labourers and special provisions for cattle feed and fodder management to protect livestock.
The state administration has emphasised that district authorities must execute these relief operations on a war footing to ensure that no affected farmer or rural resident is left stranded amid the unfolding crisis.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday announced drought relief package, Rs 5,000 advance aid to farmers ahead of Diwali.
In a move to mitigate severe agricultural distress across Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday chaired a high-level Cabinet meeting, announcing a series of crucial relief measures, including an advance financial aid of Rs 5,000 to affected farmers before Diwali.
The high-stakes meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and key members of the state Council of Ministers to assess the escalating drought situation across multiple regions.
CM Fadnavis told reporters that each affected farmer will receive Rs 5,000 directly into their bank accounts as advance aid prior to Diwali.
The state government has finalised list of 3.5 lakh farmers for loan waiver scheme with processing underway.
Groundwater levels in Marathwada have plummeted by more than 3 metres.
Adequate water tankers will be deployed, equipped with GPS tracking to prevent mismanagement.
“More than 16,000 illegal water connections have already been disconnected. Unconditional waiver on educational fees; strict instructions issued to banks and microfinance institutions against forcefully collecting loan repayments or electricity bills,” CM Fadnavis said.
–IANS
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