A delegation of union agriculture minister along with officials from the state agriculture department and other departments visited drought affected villages in Solapur district
Pune: An inter-ministerial central team on Friday assessed the drought situation in Barshi taluka of Solapur district, where all 11 talukas have been declared drought-hit. Farmers said rainfall was only about 25% of normal, leading to near-total damage to soybean, tur and onion crops. They said yields, which typically range between eight and 10 quintals of soybean per acre, would not be sufficient even to recover cultivation costs this season.
Officials said several other water sources in the taluka were in a similar condition, raising concerns over drinking water availability. The team, led by Dr K Ponnusamy of the Union agriculture ministry, visited villages in Barshi to inspect damage to soybean and tur crops and interact with farmers. Members included Abasar Ahmed Khan from the department of drinking water and sanitation, Sumit Sharma from the department of food and public distribution, and state agriculture commissioner Suraj Mandhare. At Uplai (Thonge) village, the team inspected farmer Kalyan Chavan’s fields, where standing crops had been badly affected by a prolonged dry spell after July sowing. The team also visited the Pangaon storage reservoir, which was found completely dry. Farmers urged the Centre to provide immediate financial assistance, drinking water and fodder support for livestock. After visiting Barshi, the team proceeded to North Solapur and later held a review meeting with district officials in Solapur city.
On Saturday, it is scheduled to visit drought-affected areas in South Solapur, Mangalwedha and Sangola.
District officials said around 60% of crop-loss panchnamas have been completed. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nashik | Silver Rate in Nashik | Bank Holidays in Nashik | Public Holidays in Nashik | Petrol Price in Nashik | Diesel Price in Nashik | CNG Price in Nashik | LPG Price in Nashik Stay updated with the latest Nashik news. The remaining assessments are expected to be finished within the next few days, after which a detailed drought-relief proposal will be submitted to the Centre. Download the TOI App.