CM Devendra Fadnavis pays homage to martyrs on the occasion of Marathwada Liberation Day on Thursday
the CM said the state would act immediately While official crop damage surveys under NDRF norms will begin on Oct 5. He said the state stood firmly with farmers facing crop losses due to a prolonged monsoon dry spell.
“The administration needs to ensure drinking water supply in affected areas, conduct crop inspections and submit reports at the earliest to expedite relief,” the CM said, while addressing the Marathwada Liberation Day gathering in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. “Marathwada has been expecting a good kharif season, but an extended break in monsoon rain has put crops under severe stress,” Fadnavis said. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said state govt would extend financial assistance to drought-hit farmers without waiting for relief under National Disaster Response Fund ( NDRF ).
83 talukas across 19 districts have experienced a rain deficit of more than 20 days, with some areas receiving virtually no rain for over 40 days, according to a presentation by the agriculture department before the state cabinet. After a near-rainless Aug, Marathwada has recorded a 76% rainfall deficiency in Sept so far, raising concerns over rain-fed kharif crops. On Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s water woes, Fadnavis said the Rs 2,700-crore drinking water project was in its final stages and would soon enable regular daily water supply to the city.
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The CM said water stored in dams across affected districts, particularly in Marathwada, had been reserved for drinking purposes. Reiterating govt’s long-term drought mitigation strategy, Fadnavis said projects were under way to make Marathwada permanently drought-free. “A plan to divert an additional 30 TMC of water from the Krishna-Bhima basin to Marathwada has received World Bank approval, while a project to transfer 70 TMC of water from the Ulhas basin in Konkan to the Godavari basin is targeted for completion within seven years,” the CM said. Reaffirming govt’s industrial vision, he said the city was being developed as the country’s electric vehicle (EV) capital. “We are working for Marathwada’s growth across industry, employment, agriculture, IT and infrastructure,” Fadnavis said.
The administration is also preparing emergency relief measures and assessing fodder availability for livestock. He also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects, including the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, saying they had strengthened Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s position as a major investment destination. Download the TOI App.