Maharashtra Government Declares Drought in 265 of 358 Talukas After Deficient Kharif Rainfall

Key facts

• Maharashtra has declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas after inadequate monsoon rainfall disrupted the 2026 Kharif season, with the Relief and Rehabilitation Department issuing a Government Resolution under Trigger-1 of the Drought Management Code, 2016.
• The drought-hit talukas span all six administrative divisions: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (74), Amravati (56), Nashik (49), Nagpur (39), Pune (35), and Konkan (12).
• Relief measures include land revenue waiver, restructuring of agricultural loans, suspension of loan recovery, electricity bill concessions for farm pumps above 7.5 HP, exam fee exemptions for students, water tankers, grain and fodder supplies including fodder camps.
• District Collectors have been directed to conduct panchnamas with geotagged, GPS-tagged photographs of affected farmland, with reports submitted through the Agriculture Commissioner.
• Neighbouring Karnataka has already declared drought in 177 of its 240 talukas.