Drought in 265 talukas: Maharashtra farmers face mounting crop losses

Monsoon is on its way out but across large parts of Maharashtra, the season is leaving behind parched fields, damaged soybean and onion crops, and a growing anxiety of mounting losses among farmers. 

After months of deficient and uneven rainfall, the Maharashtra government on Saturday declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, roughly 3/4ths of the state. 

The drought declaration covers large parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha, along with drought-hit pockets of northern and western Maharashtra. Marathwada and Vidarbha have long been associated with acute drought and agrarian distress. 

This year, the two regions, along with other parts of the state have seen one of the driest monsoons in years. And long gaps between rain spells have worsened the stress on standing crops. 

And the southwest monsoon has begun its withdrawal from the country, so the window for any meaningful recovery in rainfall is narrowing. 

A government resolution dated September 25 said the affected talukas were identified based on rainfall deficits and other drought indicators recorded since June. 

The next step is to determine the extent of crop damage. District collectors have been directed to conduct field surveys, prepare panchnamas, document crop conditions through photographs and GPS-tagged records, and submit their findings to the government. 

The declaration covers 16 talukas in Yavatmal, the highest among all districts, followed by 15 in Jalgaon, and 14 each in Nanded, Amravati and Nagpur. 

The decision to declare drought came days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis toured Latur, Dharashiv and Solapur, where soybean, maize and cotton were among the worst-affected crops. 

The stress has been particularly acute in Marathwada, where several districts have received barely half to a little over half of their normal monsoon rainfall this season. 

But it is not just the cumulative rainfall shortfall. Long gaps between rain spells have further depleted soil moisture, leaving rain-fed crops especially vulnerable during their critical growth stages. 

Maharashtra is the second state after Karnataka to declare drought this year. Karnataka had declared 177 of its 240 taluks drought-affected by September 22. 

The wider picture is stark. As of September 23, 51.2 per cent of India’s land area was under dry or drought conditions, according to the IIT-Gandhinagar’s India Drought Monitor. In Maharashtra, the figure was 84.1 per cent. 

Maharashtra has announced relief measures including crop-loan restructuring, electricity-bill concessions and expanded employment-guarantee works. But direct crop-loss compensation has not yet been announced. That will depend on the ground-level assessments which are now underway. 

Drought conditions have unfolded against the backdrop of a strengthening El Niño in the tropical Pacific, a climate pattern that can disrupt rainfall across different parts of the world. The World Meteorological Organization says the event is firmly established and is expected to strengthen further in the coming months.