Maharashtra has declared drought conditions in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas, covering nearly 74% of Maharashtra, according to a government notice issued late on Friday.
The declaration follows Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s recent visit to several drought-affected areas.
The state has activated “Trigger-1”, the first stage of its Drought Management Manual, 2016 (updated in 2020), triggered when a region records a rainfall deficit exceeding 25% combined with a continuous dry spell of at least 21 days during the monsoon, PTI reported.
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A report by the Agriculture Commissioner found drought-like conditions across the 265 talukas, spanning 32 districts, since June, with the worst-hit areas including Solapur, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Latur, Beed, Buldhana, Amravati, Yavatmal, Nagpur and Chandrapur.
District collectors have been directed to begin crop-loss assessments through panchnamas, documenting conditions with GPS-tagged photographs for submission to the government via the Agriculture Commissioner.
Financial assistance for crop damage will be announced separately once this assessment is completed.
The state has rolled out immediate relief measures, including concessions in land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, and a stay on loan recovery.
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Electricity bill concessions for agricultural pumps above 7.5 horsepower have also been extended, building on an existing waiver for smaller pumps.
Additional measures include waiving school and college examination fees, relaxing employment-guarantee scheme norms, deploying drinking-water tankers, ensuring uninterrupted power to agricultural pumps, and supplying foodgrains and fodder in the affected talukas.
State data shows Maharashtra received 755.9mm of rainfall between June and September 18, against an average of 932.3mm — a deficit of 18.8%, amid El Niño conditions. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, covering Marathwada, recorded a 30.8% shortfall, while Pune and Nashik divisions saw close to 30% deficits and Amravati and Nagpur divisions recorded 27%.
At least six districts, including Amravati, Solapur and Latur, recorded deficits of 40-50%.
The shortfall has hit kharif crops including soybean, cotton, millet, maize, tur, moong and urad, with farmers reporting crop failures and rising pest and disease incidence. On September 16, farmers in several districts held protests demanding drought relief and compensation for crop losses.
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