Explained: What does a drought declaration mean for farmers in Maharashtra?
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on October 14 that drought now covers 305 of the state's 358 talukas and that farmers will receive an advance of Rs 5,000 in their bank accounts before Diwali.
A taluka is an administrative sub-division of a district.
A drought declaration unlocks relief measures under the state’s drought manual.
Maharashtra has declared drought in 305 of 358 talukas.
Relief includes loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, electricity relief and household assistance.
Farmers will also get an advance of Rs 5,000 before Diwali.
Fadnavis said the full assessment procedures take time and cannot be completed before Diwali, so the advance is being paid ahead of that process, according to the reports.
The government expedited administrative procedures to announce relief in October and not in November or December, as in earlier years, according to the reports.
Fadnavis said, according to NewsDrum, that this Diwali is going to be difficult for farmers.
He said all 12 standard drought concessions will continue in the affected talukas, according to the reports.
These concessions include restructuring of agricultural loans, land revenue concessions, electricity-related relief and assistance for households, according to NewsDrum.
Reports also mention education fee waivers, water tankers and fodder support as part of the relief.
Payments under the state’s farm loan waiver scheme are being credited to beneficiaries’ accounts, according to NewsDrum, which gave no amounts or beneficiary numbers.
Another report says the government has identified 3.5 lakh farmers for the loan waiver scheme, and the process is under way.
Groundwater has fallen sharply, especially in the Marathwada region, according to NewsDrum.
The government is increasing the number of drinking water tankers, introducing GPS tracking for them and has disconnected 16,000 unauthorised water connections, according to the same report.
Measures to address the shortage of fodder for livestock are also planned, according to NewsDrum.
The articles reviewed carried no reaction from opposition parties or farmer organisations to the announcement.
A taluka is an administrative sub-division of a district, and a drought declaration unlocks relief measures under the state’s drought manual and the possibility of central assistance.
Mantralaya, Mumbai (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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