Nanded (Maharashtra) [India], September 26 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar on Saturday inspected the crop situation in Sonkhed and Loha areas of Nanded district amid drought-like conditions caused by a prolonged break in rainfall, assuring farmers that the government would provide assistance based on ground inspections.
During her visit, Pawar interacted with farmers and women farmers, listened to their concerns, and assured them that the government would not leave farmers in distress.
"Due to the break in rainfall, a drought-like situation has arisen in the state, and the government has taken serious note of this situation. Instructions have been given to the administration to conduct actual inspections and prepare panchnamas," Maharashtra DGIPR said in a post on X.
"Assistance will be provided to the affected farmers based on the panchnamas and inspections. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar assured on this occasion that the government will not leave the farmers to the winds of fate," the post added.
According to the post, the Maharashtra Deputy CM was accompanied by Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, MLA Vikram Kale, MLA Pratap Patil Chikhalikar, MLA Anand Tidke-Bondharkar, District Collector Rahul Kardile, Chief Executive Officer Mahesh Patil, along with officers and employees from various departments.
नांदेड जिल्ह्यातील सोनखेड व लोहा येथे पीक परिस्थितीची उपमुख्यमंत्री सुनेत्रा अजित पवार यांनी पाहणी केली. यावेळी सहकार मंत्री बाबासाहेब पाटील, आमदार विक्रम काळे, आमदार प्रताप पाटील चिखलीकर, आमदार आनंद तिडके-बोंढारकर, जिल्हाधिकारी राहुल कर्डिले, मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी महेश पाटील… pic.twitter.com/MM53OcHFDk
— MAHARASHTRA DGIPR (@MahaDGIPR) September 26, 2026
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has declared drought conditions in 265 talukas across the state where Trigger-1 (first crop) has been activated during the Kharif 2026 season and announced a series of relief measures, including loan restructuring, electricity bill concessions and drinking water arrangements.
The decision was taken through a Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Relief and Rehabilitation Department on September 25, 2026, based on the report submitted by the Commissioner of Agriculture, which indicated drought conditions due to rainfall deficiency and other factors from June onwards.
The government has directed respective District Collectors to immediately begin crop damage assessments (panchnamas) in the affected talukas. The authorities have also been instructed to collect photographs showing crop conditions along with GPS coordinates and submit reports to the government through the Commissioner of Agriculture.
"As Trigger-1 has been activated in these 265 drought-affected talukas, the respective District Collectors have been directed to immediately begin the process of conducting crop damage assessments," the resolution stated.
The government has announced several concessions and relief measures for the affected areas, including waiver or concession in land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, deferment of recovery of agriculture-related loans and concession on electricity bills for agricultural pumps.
The resolution stated that electricity bills for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 horsepower have already been waived, while the concession will also apply to agricultural pumps above that capacity.
The measures also include waiver of examination fees for school and college students, relaxation of work norms under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (ROHYO) to increase employment opportunities, deployment of water tankers wherever required and ensuring that electricity connections to agricultural pumps are not disconnected in villages where water scarcity has been declared.
The government has also directed arrangements for adequate food grains for farmers, agricultural labourers and others dependent on agriculture, along with ensuring availability of fodder for livestock.
Water conservation works will also be undertaken, while drinking water and water supply for livestock will be planned as per existing government guidelines.
The state government said financial assistance for crop losses in the 265 drought-affected talukas will be announced separately through another Government Resolution after completion of the prescribed assessment process.
The drought declaration covers talukas across several districts, including Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Ahilyanagar, Pune, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Buldhana, Amravati, Akola, Washim, Yavatmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.
सन २०२६ च्या खरीप हंगामातील Trigger-१ (प्रथम कळ) लागू झालेल्या २६५ तालुक्यांमध्ये दुष्काळ जाहीर करुन विविध उपाययोजना व सवलती लागू करण्याबाबतचा शासन निर्णय जारी करण्यात आला आहे.
शासन निर्णय :https://t.co/ihlWtFHH5s pic.twitter.com/WSOLnlRtFa
The state government has already initiated measures to address the drought-like situation, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announcing the formation of a cabinet sub-committee to monitor the situation on a weekly basis.
The committee, chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, will review the drought situation and oversee mitigation measures in affected districts. Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, will take policy decisions related to the situation.
Fadnavis had also said that municipal bodies have been instructed to ensure adequate drinking water arrangements and that the state would take necessary decisions without waiting for central assistance. (ANI)
