Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A central team visited a village in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to assess the crop damage caused by drought, inspecting ruined fields and interacting with distressed cultivators who sought immediate financial compensation of up to Rs 60,000 per acre. Led by Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department Joint Secretary Muktanand Agrawal, the team inspected the farm of Vilas Shinde, a cultivator from Demni village, whose soybean crop across more than one hectare was completely destroyed due to prolonged dry spells.
The delegation included Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre Deputy Director Sunil Kumar, NITI Aayog Advisor Dr Jaspal Singh, Dr Sakshi Bhadoria from the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department, Maharashtra Agriculture Secretary Parimal Singh, and District Collector Vinay Gowda G C.
“The team arrived here last night, interacted with the Divisional Commissioner and local officials, and commenced their ground inspection,” Collector Gowda told reporters.
“The visits will continue across several locations over the next three to four days, following which they will submit a report,” he said.
Local farmer Sainath Shinde urged authorities to bypass lengthy formalities and disburse aid quickly, pointing out that crops like cotton, corn, and soybean have suffered extensive damage.
“We have lost our entire harvest after spending around Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per acre. While the government has declared drought, field surveys continue. Direct assistance of Rs 60,000 per acre must be released immediately so we can repay our loans,” he said.
Echoing the concern, another cultivator, Somnath Shinde, demanded a minimum payout of Rs 50,000 per acre alongside long-term water-conservation projects to secure future farming seasons.
“We could barely recover the seeds sown. Recurring dry spells have left cattle hungry and school fees pending. Along with swift monetary assistance, the government must build dams and barrages for sustainable water management,” he added.
On September 26, the Maharashtra government declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of 74 drought-affected talukas, followed by Amravati with 56, Nashik with 49, Nagpur with 39, Pune with 35 and Thane with 12, including one in Raigad, three in Ratnagiri and eight in Sindhudurg, have been included in the list.
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