The Maharashtra government has declared drought in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas, along with a slew of relief measures.
Based on conditions during the 2026 kharif season, the government order issued on September 26 identifies 265 talukas as drought-affected.
These talukas are spread across 32 districts, including Beed, Latur, Nanded, Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Nashik, Dhule and Gadchiroli. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of drought-hit talukas, at 74, followed by Amravati (56), Nashik (49), Nagpur (39) and Pune (35).
The state government has issued instructions to begin water conservation works and to plan for drinking water and livestock water needs. It has also announced several concessions, including exemption from land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, a moratorium on recovery of agriculture-related loans, exemption from current electricity bills for agricultural pumps, and waiver of exam fees for school and college students. The government statement said it will also provide fodder for livestock.
As per the order, district collectors will immediately begin panchnamas (on spot damage assessments). The order asks district officials to submit photographs of crop conditions with GPS coordinates to the government. The CM office said it will announce assistance for crop losses of drought-affected farmers through a separate government resolution after completing the prescribed procedures.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the state will study the impact of El Niño, which could peak by the end of February. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecasted below-normal monsoon rainfall during the Kharif season, saying it will be affected by ongoing El Niño conditions.
On September 27, Sharad Pawar, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), sent the Chief Minister a letter with 17 demands for farmers and agricultural workers. It asks the government to declare the remaining talukas drought-hit, waive land revenue and agricultural loans, and give 25 kg of free grain per family. The letter also seeks a compensation of ₹100,000 per hectare for farmers and ₹25,000 for farm labourers.
Pawar also demanded that tehsildars be empowered to approve water tankers for people and livestock, that power supply to farm pumps not be cut in drought-hit areas, and that the legislature hold a special three-day session on the drought. He asked that financial aid reach farmers before Dussehra and Diwali. He also asked for a special three-day session of the legislature to discuss the state’s serious drought situation.
Banner image: The Maharashtra government has declared drought in 265 of the state’s 358 talukas. Image by Mahendraparikh23 via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
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