The Maharashtra government will not wait for assistance from the Centre and offer immediate relief to farmers in the affected areas, the chief minister said

Published on: Sep 25, 2026, 08:05:00 IST

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MUMBAI: With more than 21 districts facing acute water scarcity due to deficient rainfall, the state government is expected to announce a drought-like situation in half of the 364 tehsils. An order to this effect is expected on Friday, along with relief measures for affected farmers, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday while touring villages in Washim, Vidarbha. He added that the state government will not wait for assistance from the Centre and offer immediate relief to farmers in the affected areas.

Fadnavis has been touring the parched lands of Marathwada and Vidarbha over the last few days. He noted that most of the affected areas have now hit the first trigger of the drought code, with several parts of the state facing severe conditions.

During his visit to Mhasla village in Washim’s Karanja taluka, a group of farmers raised slogans demanding that the district be officially declared drought-hit. They submitted a memorandum to the CM outlining their key demands, including compensation of ₹50,000 per hectare.

“I have visited various villages and held review meetings in several districts. There is a severe drought situation in districts such as Amravati, which has affected crops such as soybean, cotton, urad and tur. As per the drought code’s ‘Trigger 1’ parameters, we will issue an order declaring drought in the affected areas. Wherever drought conditions are evident prima facie, we will declare those areas as drought-affected. It is possible that some of these areas may have been left out. We will also assess the situation under ‘Trigger 3’ and declare drought wherever warranted,” Fadnavis said.

Officials aware of the matter said, ‘Trigger 1’— a rainfall shortfall of more than 25% along with a prolonged dry spell — parameters have been met in more than 21 districts.

“The ‘Trigger 2’ level, which takes into account groundwater levels, soil wetness index, sowing percentage and the crop distress index, will be assessed after September 30. Based on this assessment, a report will be sent to the Centre for financial assistance. However, the state government has decided not to wait for central assistance and will provide relief to farmers in the affected areas,” said an official from the Relief and Rehabilitation Department.

The official said a drought can be formally declared only after assessment of the second trigger and that, until then, the affected areas would be classified as facing drought-like situation.

The affected tehsils are spread mainly across Marathwada, Vidarbha, western Maharashtra and north Maharashtra, the official said.

Relief for farmers

Farmers in drought-affected areas are eligible for relief measures such as concessions on electricity bills, restructuring of crop loans and exemption from school fees, among others. They are also entitled to crop-loss compensation as prescribed for different crops.

“Given the prevailing situation, we will embark on generating employment as soon as possible, with special focus on watershed development works. We will also undertake works such as removing silt from lakes and other water bodies. Next on the agenda is to ensure that the education of children is not disrupted because of the drought. Wherever water is available, we will provide assistance so that farmers can undertake rabi sowing,” Fadnavis said.

“We will ensure that there is no shortage of fodder, water or food grains, and provide direct assistance on a per-hectare basis. The government has formulated a uniform assistance policy given the widespread crop losses and will ensure that the relief reaches farmers before Diwali,” he said.

As per data available up to September 22, Maharashtra received only 80.82% of its average rainfall between June 1 and September 21. Seventeen districts recorded 50–75% of normal rainfall, while another 14 received 75–100%. Solapur was the worst affected, receiving just 48.65% of its average rainfall, while several districts in Marathwada, Vidarbha and north Maharashtra recorded deficits of 35–50%. Kharif sowing stood at 137.27 lakh hectares, about 95% of the five-year average.

The rainfall deficit and prolonged dry spells have begun affecting kharif crops, with significant losses expected in several districts. In Solapur, eight tehsils have triggered the first drought indicator, with soybean, moong and urad potentially facing losses of 80–90%. Buldhana could see soybean production fall by 70–75%, while Jalna may record losses of 40–60% in cotton and soybean. Sangli and Satara are also facing the risk of substantial crop losses if dry conditions persist.

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