Jayant Patil, State President of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar Group), in a written communication to the Maharashtra government, urged to declare the state as drought-affected. He has drawn the government’s attention to the prevailing drought crisis due to deficient rainfall.
Emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, Patil asserted that the government must promptly declare a state of drought and subsequently initiate requisite measures. In his letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Patil expressed fears that the crisis could lead to farmer suicides in the state.
Patil further stated that certain regions of the state have experienced only 29 per cent of the average expected rainfall for August. At present, the drought condition seems prevailing with a 23-day gap of rain in 329 revenue circles. The Kharif season has been wasted in 18 districts of the state except Konkan. The lowest rainfall has been recorded in Sangli district
Within this monsoon period, the state has suffered a substantial rainfall deficit of 45 per cent in comparison to historical averages. This has precipitated widespread drought conditions, endangering Kharif crops due to insufficient rainfall.
According to Patil, most of the crops in the Kharif season have been impacted and fodder crops hit, leading to a severe scarcity of fodder for animals. Due to this, a big challenge has also arisen for the farmers of the state to save livestock.
