Maharashtra Allocates Rs 1,500 Crore to Support Marathwada Farmers After Heavy Rains

The Maharashtra government has allocated Rs 1,500 crore to compensate farmers in the Marathwada region for crop losses incurred due to relentless heavy rains from May to August, a senior official announced Friday. The disbursal process has commenced, with funds set to be directly credited to the affected farmers' bank accounts, providing timely relief in one of India's most drought-prone yet flood-vulnerable agricultural belts.

Marathwada, spanning eight districts, has borne the brunt of erratic monsoon patterns this year, exacerbating economic hardships for its predominantly rain-fed farming communities reliant on crops like soybean, cotton, and pulses.

Divisional Commissioner Jitendra Papalkar confirmed that instructions have been issued to expedite the uploading of beneficiary lists, ensuring swift payouts. The initiative follows extensive damage assessments, with 80% of the survey for recent losses completed. However, the region faces renewed threats, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts more rainfall over the next three to four days.

In response, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been placed on high alert, particularly in low-lying areas prone to river overflows from swollen Godavari and Tapi tributaries. Since September 20, flooding has claimed at least nine lives and devastated crops across lakhs of acres, compounding earlier monsoon woes that have resulted in 86 rain-related deaths across Marathwada's districts—Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Beed, and Dharashiv—this season.

Beyond agriculture, the deluge has inflicted severe infrastructure damage, including to roads, bridges, and rural electrification, while displacing thousands and destroying livestock and homes. Papalkar emphasised prioritising ex-gratia payments to families of the deceased, alongside aid for those who lost animals and dwellings. "Our immediate focus is on humanitarian relief—supporting the kin of victims, compensating farmers, and restoring basic amenities—while assessments for broader damages continue," he stated.

The government's response draws from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), supplemented by central assistance requests, reflecting Maharashtra's recurring battle with climate extremes in Marathwada, where historical droughts alternate with devastating floods, underscoring the urgent need for resilient irrigation and early-warning systems.

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As relief efforts intensify, officials urge farmers to register promptly via local tehsildars and monitor IMD advisories. This Rs 1,500 crore infusion not only addresses immediate losses but signals a commitment to bolstering agrarian recovery in a region contributing significantly to Maharashtra's food basket, amid calls for long-term climate-adaptive policies to safeguard vulnerable livelihoods.

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