The Maharashtra government issued a drought declaration on September 26 covering 265 talukas, following a report by the Agriculture Commissioner. The affected areas include much of Vidarbha, Marathwada, North Maharashtra and the Pune division. Yavatmal, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Nagpur, Amravati and Nanded are among the hardest-hit districts identified in the resolution.
The order follows a prolonged dry spell that began in June. Under the first trigger of the Drought Management Code 2016, a qualifying dry spell lasts at least 21 consecutive days; the state says that trigger has been applied in the affected talukas. District collectors are to document crop conditions through field assessments and submit reports to the Agriculture Commissioner, supported by photographs and GPS coordinates.
The resolution enables 12 immediate forms of relief. They include a waiver of land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, a pause on recovery of farm loans, exemptions from electricity bills for agricultural pumps, waivers of school examination fees, more flexible MGNREGA works, drinking-water tankers, protection against disconnection of farm pumps, and arrangements for food grain and fodder.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced on September 22 that a subcommittee chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule would prepare the drought order by September 26. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar said the government would also begin water-conservation work and plan drinking-water support. Separate compensation for crop losses is to be announced after the assessment process is completed.
Farmers’ leader Ajit Navale welcomed the declaration but said farmers were waiting for compensation and argued that relief under the National Disaster Response Fund would not be enough to cover losses across two Kharif seasons. The government’s next step is to complete the field assessments and determine assistance through a separate resolution.