Maharashtra Govt Declares Drought In 265 Talukas, Relief Measures Announced
Pune/Mumbai, 26th September 2026: The Maharashtra government has declared drought conditions and announced relief measures for 265 talukas across the state after rainfall deficiency and other drought indicators triggered the first-stage ‘Trigger-1’ under the state’s drought management framework.
Deputy chief minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar said the decision was taken based on an assessment under the Drought Management Code, 2016. The Relief and Rehabilitation Department has issued a government resolution directing authorities to implement drought-related measures in the affected talukas.
The decision covers 265 talukas across 34 districts, including Pune, Ahmednagar, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Buldhana, Amravati, Akola, Washim, Yavatmal, Wardha, Nagpur, Bhandara, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Solapur, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.
The government has directed district collectors to immediately begin crop inspections and prepare panchnamas. Officials will collect photographs and GPS coordinates of surveyed fields to assess crop conditions, with reports to be submitted to the government through the agriculture commissioner.
The relief package includes concessions in land revenue, restructuring of crop loans, a moratorium on recovery of agriculture-related loans, concessions on current electricity bills for agricultural pumps and waivers of examination fees for school and college students in affected areas.
The government will also relax norms for works under the employment guarantee scheme to facilitate more work, arrange water tankers wherever necessary and ensure that electricity connections to agricultural pumps in villages declared drought-affected are not disconnected.
Measures have also been ordered to ensure foodgrain availability for farmers and agricultural labourers and adequate fodder for livestock. Water conservation works will be taken up, while arrangements will be made for drinking water for people and livestock.
Assistance for crop losses suffered by drought-affected farmers will be announced separately through a government resolution after completion of the prescribed assessment and verification process.
Pawar said the government would closely monitor the situation and ensure that farmers, agricultural labourers and rural families receive assistance in time. She also thanked chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Relief and Rehabilitation Department for the decision.
