Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said “drought relief” measures have already been initiated by the state government. His statement came after the Opposition’s demand to declare a drought in Maharashtra, which is facing a widening rain shortfall in some regions. He further said the government would not wait for Central assistance to help farmers facing distress due to inadequate rainfall.
The Chief Minister said formal crop-loss assessments would be carried out after October 5 as required under the rules, following which the state would seek assistance from the Centre.
"There is a difference between formally declaring a drought and implementing relief measures. Under the NDRF framework, certain steps have to be completed before a drought can be formally declared and assistance sought from the Centre," Fadnavis told reporters, adding that the government has started implementing drought-relief measures immediately.
Drought assessment process
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Jadhav Patil said the drought declaration procedure was revised through a government resolution issued by the Revenue and Forest Departments in 2017. Under the revised Drought Management Code, rainfall, vegetation index, sown area, soil moisture and groundwater levels are among the indicators considered.
The assessment will be conducted in three stages. The first will examine mandatory rainfall-related indicators, the second will assess the severity of drought using indicative indicators, and the third will involve field surveys and verification. A village can qualify for drought declaration if the field assessment establishes crop damage exceeding 33 per cent.
Patil said the state-level drought monitoring committee headed by the Agriculture Commissioner would submit its final report, based on which the government would take a decision. Agriculture Minister Dutta Bharne will also hold review meetings and undertake field visits before submitting recommendations to the Cabinet.
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Solapur situation raises concern
The situation in Solapur has emerged as a major concern. Rural Development Minister and district guardian minister Jaykumar Gore said the district had received around 50 per cent less rainfall than normal, with crop damage estimated at 80-85 per cent. He said 68 villages were already dependent on tanker water and the number could increase if the dry spell continued.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanded ₹1 lakh per hectare for affected farmers and a complete loan waiver. He alleged that the government was delaying assistance through meetings while standing crops were being damaged and urged it to respond immediately to farmers’ distress.
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