The substantial outlay will severely strain an already cash-strapped state exchequer, with drought now gripping 74% of the state’s tehsils (265 out of 358)

Published on: Sep 29, 2026, 07:42:10 IST

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MUMBAI: Preliminary estimates suggest that Maharashtra’s new 12-measure drought relief plan, announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday, will cost over ₹45,000 crore. The substantial outlay will severely strain an already cash-strapped state exchequer, with drought now gripping 74% of the state’s tehsils (265 out of 358).

“Of this, a major chunk of around ₹30,000 crore is expected to be allocated as compensation for crop losses. The compensation will be given in three categories — ₹8,500 per hectare for losses in rainfed areas, ₹17,000 per hectare for assured irrigated areas and ₹22,500 per hectare for perennial crops (once the affected areas are mapped),” said an official from the relief and rehabilitation department, who did not wish to be named. “Although the exact area of damage is still being assessed, major crops have been destroyed in all these tehsils. The remaining amount is expected to be spent on fodder, drinking water management, waiver of school and college examination fees, electricity concessions and other relief measures.”

The state might approach the Centre for aid subsequently, the officer said.

There is also a fear that the drought-relief budget may increase should the government be pressurised into adding more tehsils to the list. “BJP legislator Parinay Fuke has demanded that four tehsils in Bhandara, Vidarbha, be added, while his party colleague Ashok Chavan has demanded that two — Mukhed and Mudkhed — from Marathwada be declared drought-affected. The two tehsils from Nanded district that Chavan previously represented as an MP, are the only ones from Marathwada not included in the list of drought-affected areas.

“The state administration’s assessment while declaring 265 tehsils was based on Trigger-1 compliance under the drought management manual. Trigger-1 indicators point to a drought-like situation and not necessarily drought, but it was a political decision that prevailed during the announcement. To that end, the burden would increase if more tehsils are declared affected,” the official said.

Other officials from the finance department also underscored that raising funds would be a challenge for the state government, which is already reeling under a huge debt burden and rising budgetary deficits. They said the state would approach the Centre for the relief package once the assessment of the losses is completed by the end of October.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar claimed on Monday that the total losses sustained by farmers in the drought-hit areas amount to ₹77,000 crore. “The farmers spent ₹95,500 crore on sowing and were expecting ₹1,28,866 crore in returns after harvesting, but the crops have been damaged. Farmers are expected to sustain an additional loss of ₹35,000 crore in the rabi season,” he said.

In October 2025, the state government had announced a package of ₹31,628 crore specifically for farmers affected by severe downpour and subsequent flooding. The extensive package covered 29 of the 36 districts and 253 of the 358 talukas, where more than 68 lakh hectares of crops were severely damaged.

According to data collated by the state government, Maharashtra has recorded four drought- or drought-affected years in the last decade, beginning in 2015-16. In 2015, 277 tehsils were affected, while in 2018-19, the number stood at 151. In 2019-20, drought was declared in only two districts — Beed and Osmanabad. In Kharif 2023, drought was declared in 40 tehsils and 1,021 revenue circles.

Drought declaration defies Model Code of Conduct

While declaring drought in 74% of the state, the state government violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force for the elections to five graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies — Aurangabad, Pune and Nagpur Graduates’ constituencies, and Amravati and Pune Teachers’ constituencies — across four divisions, an official claimed.

“The code of conduct came into force on September 22, and the state government wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking relaxation for announcing the drought. However, the announcement was made even before the official nod came from the ECI. It is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” said an official from Mantralaya.

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