37% of Maharashtra villages likely to get drought-like status

MUMBAI: Nearly 37% of the villages in Maharashtra may get a ‘drought-like’ tag as they have reported low crop production. The state relief and rehabilitation department has moved a proposal seeking the drought-like status for 1,4679 of the total 39,755 villages in the state and extending relief measures.
CM Devendra Fadnavis is examining the proposal. State officials pointed out that while there is enough drinking water available in the state at present, there could be a crisis at the peak of summer.

Crop production has fallen to 133 lakh tonnes in 2017-18 from 169 lakh tonnes recorded last financial year, according to the latest foodgrain production statistics received from the state agriculture department. The drop has been attributed to the 45-day dry spell between July-August in most parts of the state, especially Marathwada and Vidarbha. According to the Centre’s new manual for drought management 2016, crop productivity and rainfall are among the five deciding factors for declaration of drought.

Maharashtra uses the Paisewari system to measure crop yield, so, if there is a rainfall deficit and the crop yield is less than 50% of the average of 10 years, it is considered a drought year. Nearly 90 villages in Amravati division recorded crop yield of less than 50 paise. Similarly, 42% of the total villages in Aurangabad will be declared as facing drought-like situation. Last year, not a single village in the state was declared drought affected owing to good rainfall.

With the Centre amending the norms for drought declaration, the state government declared drought only in three talukas in Gondia district. “There are villages that recorded a drop in crop yield and still do not fit in the Centre’s criterion for drought declaration. We are declaring them having a drought-like situation and the state will bear the expenses for relief measures,” said an official. According to the Centre’s norms, central assistance can only be sought in case of severe drought, which will become a rarity with the new norms in place.

The state plans to offer relief measures like waiver in land-related taxes, restructuring of agriculture loans, stay on recovery of loans for agriculture and allied activities, 33.5% waiver on electricity bills for water pumps, exam fee waiver for students from these villages, relaxation in criterion for works under EGC scheme, providing water tankers to these villages and stay on disconnecting power lines of defaulting farmers.