In light of severe rainfall shortages, the Maharashtra government has officially identified two-third of the state as drought-affected. (Representative image)
MUMBAI: The state government on Saturday declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, covering nearly three-fourths of the state, after deficient monsoon rainfall and prolonged dry spells affected crops during the 2026 kharif season. The declaration was made under the Drought Management Code, 2016, after the Agriculture Commissioner reported drought-like conditions in the 265 talukas from June onwards based on rainfall deficiency and other factors. Trigger-1, which includes a continuous dry spell of at least 21 days without significant rainfall during the monsoon, has been activated in these areas.
“The reports will record the extent and nature of crop damage and be supported by photographs carrying GPS coordinates,”said senior revenue officials. Officials said that the assessment will be followed by separate decisions on financial assistance. The declaration has set in motion an immediate crop-loss assessment and district-level drought response plan, with collectors directed to begin panchnamas and document damage through GPS-enabled photographs. The government will decide crop-loss assistance separately after the assessment is completed. Collectors have been asked to begin field assessments immediately and prepare consolidated crop-loss reports for submission to the government through the Agriculture Commissioner.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of affected talukas at 74, followed by Amravati division with 56, Nashik with 49, Nagpur with 39, Pune with 35 and Konkan with 12. box Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division, the affected talukas are spread across all eight districts — Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (9), Jalna (8), Beed (11), Latur (10), Dharashiv (8), Nanded (14), Parbhani (9) and Hingoli (5), according to the GR. The Amravati division has 56 affected talukas — Buldhana (13), Amravati (14), Akola (7), Washim (6) and Yavatmal (16). Nagpur division accounts for 39 — Wardha (7), Nagpur (14), Bhandara (3), Gondia (1), Chandrapur (12) and Gadchiroli (2). In Nashik division, 49 talukas have been covered — Nashik (10), Dhule (4), Jalgaon (15), Nandurbar (6) and Ahilyanagar (14). Pune division has 35 affected talukas — Pune (8), Solapur (11), Sangli (4), Satara (6) and Kolhapur (6). Konkan has 12 — Ratnagiri (3), Sindhudurg (8) and Raigad (1).
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Maharashtra’s Drought Response: Relief Measures and Assessments
Officials have confirmed that the government resolution (GR) currently does not specify the compensation amounts for farmers affected by drought. The relief measures aim to mitigate both immediate crop impacts and broader scarcity issues in the drought-hit talukas. The exact assistance for crop losses will be determined following field assessments.
At the district level, collectors are tasked with developing plans that address essential needs, including drinking water, livestock care, fodder supply, food grain distribution, agricultural power, and employment in the affected regions. They must identify villages facing drinking water shortages and arrange for tanker deliveries as necessary. Additionally, assessments of fodder requirements for livestock will be conducted to ensure availability.
In villages designated as scarcity-hit, disconnection of power supply to agricultural pumps is prohibited. Collectors will oversee the implementation of relief measures, which include waiving land revenue, restructuring agricultural loans, and halting recovery on agriculture-related loans.
The government has also announced concessions on electricity bills for agricultural pumps exceeding 7.5 HP, while waiving charges for those using up to 7.5 HP. Furthermore, examination fees for school and college students in affected areas have been waived.
The administration has been instructed to initiate water conservation projects and facilitate additional employment opportunities under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to support communities in drought-stricken areas.