Sunetra Pawar Inspects Nanded Crops Amid Drought-Like Conditions
Maharashtra Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar visits Nanded to assess crop damage and assures farmers of government aid following drought-like conditions.
In response to the growing distress caused by a prolonged lack of rainfall, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar visited the Sonkhed and Loha areas of Nanded district on Saturday. The visit aimed to personally assess the deteriorating crop situation and provide direct reassurance to the farming community facing drought-like circumstances.
Direct Interaction with Farmers
During her field visit, the Deputy Chief Minister engaged in detailed discussions with both men and women farmers to understand the extent of the damage to their livelihoods. Emphasizing that the state government is closely monitoring the weather patterns, she promised that no farmer would be left to face these hardships alone.
The Maharashtra DGIPR confirmed via social media that the administration has been strictly instructed to conduct thorough ground inspections. These assessments will involve the preparation of panchnamas, which will serve as the official basis for distributing government assistance to those affected by the rainfall deficiency.
State-Wide Drought Measures and Relief
The visit to Nanded comes at a critical time, as the Maharashtra government has officially declared drought conditions across 265 talukas. Following a report from the Commissioner of Agriculture regarding the rainfall deficit since June, the state has activated Trigger-1 for the Kharif 2026 season.
To mitigate the impact, the Relief and Rehabilitation Department has issued a Government Resolution outlining several key relief measures:
- Financial Relief: Restructuring of crop loans and the deferment of recoveries for agriculture-related debts.
- Electricity Concessions: While bills for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 horsepower have already been waived, concessions will now extend to pumps with higher capacities.
- Revenue Waivers: Concessions or full waivers on land revenue in the affected regions.
- Education Support: Waiver of examination fees for students in schools and colleges within these areas.
- Employment and Water: Relaxation of work norms under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to boost local jobs, alongside the deployment of water tankers to areas in need.
Strict Assessment Protocols
To ensure transparency and accuracy in aid distribution, District Collectors have been ordered to implement rigorous damage assessment protocols. This includes:
- Immediate commencement of crop damage panchnamas.
- The collection of photographic evidence of crop conditions.
- The use of GPS coordinates to verify the location and extent of the damage.
Beyond immediate financial aid, the government is also prioritizing long-term stability by ensuring the availability of food grains for agricultural laborers and securing adequate fodder for livestock. Additionally, water conservation projects are set to be undertaken to combat the ongoing water scarcity.
The Deputy Chief Minister was accompanied during her inspection by a high-level delegation, including Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, MLAs Vikram Kale, Pratap Patil Chikhalikar, and Anand Tidke-Bondharkar, as well as senior district officials including District Collector Rahul Kardile and CEO Mahesh Patil.