Maharashtra Declares Drought Across 265 Tehsils

Maharashtra has declared drought in 265 tehsils, a designation that spans nearly three-fourths of the state’s territory, the government announced on Saturday (Indian Express). The declaration covers 74 percent of the western state, home to 130 million people and the financial capital of Mumbai, following a prolonged period of deficient rainfall during the June-to-September monsoon season (Google News India).

The move comes as the India Meteorological Department forecast that the country would close its annual monsoon with a rainfall deficit, a shortfall exacerbated by a stronger-than-usual El Niño pattern that has disrupted precipitation across South Asia (Google News India). Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the administration stood “firmly behind our farmer brethren” during the crisis, adding that the government would assess crop damage and “ensure that farmers, farm labourers and rural families receive the necessary assistance in a timely manner” (Google News India).

Maharashtra, India’s richest state by gross domestic product, is a major agricultural producer of cotton, soybeans, sugarcane and pulses. A vast number of cultivators rely on rain-fed irrigation, leaving them acutely vulnerable to crop failure and the financial distress that follows (Google News India). The impact of the erratic monsoon is not confined to Maharashtra; neighbouring Karnataka has also announced aid packages for farmers in its own drought-affected regions (Google News India).

Scientists have noted that human-driven climate change can amplify the effects of El Niño by increasing the energy and moisture available to fuel extreme weather events (Google News India). With the monsoon season drawing to a close, the full extent of the agricultural loss and the timeline for relief disbursement remain to be detailed by the state administration.