Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Saturday declared 265 of the state’s 358 talukas as drought-affected, according to an official notification.
The declaration, issued through a Government Resolution, brings 74 per cent of the state’s area under drought classification.
The move comes days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited several drought-hit regions of the state. Districts such as Dharashiv and Beed have gone without rainfall since July, hitting crops, cattle, and the daily water supply for farmers and farm labourers.
Marathwada Worst Hit Among Divisions
State government figures show the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division received 424.5 mm of rainfall against a normal expectation of 613.1 mm for the June 1 to September 18 period a shortfall of 30.8 per cent. Dharashiv and five other Marathwada districts fall under this division.
The Pune and Nashik divisions also posted rain deficits of around 30 per cent, while Amravati and Nagpur recorded shortfalls of 27 per cent. The Konkan division fared better, with a deficit of 6.3 per cent.
Across the state, rainfall totalled 755.9 mm between June and September 18 against an average of 932.3 mm, putting the overall deficit at 18.8 per cent amid the El Niño phenomenon. Six districts including Amravati, Solapur, and Latur recorded deficits ranging from 40 to 50 per cent.
Crop Losses And Farmer Protests
The shortfall has hit the Kharif season hard, when farmers in the state typically sow soybean, cotton, millet, maize, tur, moong, and urad. Growers in multiple districts have reported crop failure linked to the lack of rain, alongside a sharp rise in pest and disease outbreaks.
On September 16, farmers in several districts staged protests demanding drought relief and compensation for crop losses.
Fadnavis has said crop-damage surveys, or panchnamas, along with ground-level verification, will be carried out soon.