Maharashtra dry spell: 83 talukas in 19 districts receive no rain for over 20 days

A prolonged break in the monsoon has put Kharif crops across several parts of Maharashtra under severe stress with 83 talukas in 19 districts reportedly receiving no rainfall for more than 20 days raising concerns over crop losses water availability and the possibility of droughtlike conditionsThe situation came up for discussion at Tuesdays Cabinet meeting where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and several ministers expressed concern over the impact of the prolonged dry spell Although no immediate relief package was announced Fadnavis directed the state administrative machinery to remain on high alert and prepare for the situationGovernment says drought declaration cannot be made immediatelyFollowing the Cabinet discussion the state government said a formal drought declaration could not be made immediately because crop damage assessments have to follow prescribed procedures under National Disaster Response Fund NDRF guidelines and central drought management normsAccording to the Agriculture Departments presentation detailed crop damage assessments and ground verification will have to be conducted after October 5 before farmers can qualify for financial assistance under central relief provisionsThe government said conducting assessments prematurely could affect the eligibility of affected farmers for central assistance and could also result in an inaccurate assessment of crop lossesOfficials have been asked to prepare a comprehensive list of possible relief measures while coordinating with district administrations in the affected areasMarathwada Vidarbha among worsthit regionsThe Cabinet reviewed regional reports indicating dry spells lasting between 20 and more than 40 days across 18 to 19 districtsMarathwada Vidarbha and parts of Western Maharashtra have emerged as some of the worstaffected regions with rainfed crops facing increasing moisture stressRevenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Fadnavis directed District Collectors and fieldlevel officials to remain on high alert and prepare preliminary relief proposalsIn several affected areas particularly Marathwada local administrations have also been instructed to prioritise existing dam storage for drinking water to guard against possible shortages in both urban and rural areasCrop losses reported across several districtsAccording to a regionwise crop status compilation prepared by the state Agriculture Department Beed has reported damage to 3721 per cent of its sown area Jalna has reported damage to 2783 per cent while Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has reported damage to 706 per centIn Latur Dharashiv and Parbhani soybean green gram black gram and cotton crops grown on light soils are reportedly drying up because of the prolonged absence of rainfallA widespread outbreak of Yellow Mosaic Virus has also been reported in soybean crops adding to the challenges faced by farmersThe dry spell has also affected rainfed agricultural areas in Solapur Satara Sangli and Ahilyanagar Crops including green gram black gram soybean maize and pearl millet are under stress with yields in these areas expected to decline by 20 to 25 per cent according to the assessmentVidarbha and North Maharashtra also affectedSoybean and cotton crops are facing significant stress in Vidarbha Several talukas in Amravati Akola Buldhana and Washim have reportedly gone without rain for two to three weeksSoybean crops grown on light soils have withered in some areas while farmers with access to irrigation are using protective watering to save standing cropsIn parts of Nagpur Chandrapur and Gadchiroli deficient rainfall has delayed paddy transplantationNorth Maharashtra has also reported crop stress In Nandurbar and some talukas of Nashik inadequate rainfall has affected the growth of maize cotton and other cropsRecent rainfall in parts of Dhule and Jalgaon has provided some relief to Kharif crops However Nandurbar has received only 466 per cent of its normal rainfall according to the Agriculture Departments assessmentSevere rainfall deficits have also been reported in Solapur Kolhapur Beed Latur Dharashiv Parbhani Hingoli Akola Washim Amravati Wardha Nagpur and ChandrapurGovernment prepares relief measures as opposition seeks drought declarationWhile the government waits for the formal assessment window after October 5 officials are preparing possible emergency measures including evaluating fodder availability for livestockAgriculture officials have also been asked to guide farmers on protective irrigation wherever water is available so that surviving Kharif crops can be protected from further damageOpposition leaders including Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Solapur MP Praniti Shinde along with Shiv Sena UBT leaders have demanded an immediate drought declaration in the affected areasThey have pointed to the reported rainfall deficit across 19 districts and more than 83 talukas and warned of potential shortages of fodder and water if the dry spell continuesThe opposition has also called for an emergency relief package crop loan waivers fodder camps and tanker water supplies without waiting for the postmonsoon assessment processMahayuti leaders have also raised concerns over the situation NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde has written to Chief Minister Fadnavis seeking a drought declaration for severely affected parts of MarathwadaWith inputs from IANS