Maharashtra Floods Hit Farmers Hard, BJP Warns Against Protest Actions

In a sharply worded admonition amid the ongoing deluge in Maharashtra's flood-ravaged regions, state minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule declared on Friday that black flag protests targeting leaders inspecting disaster-hit areas would not be tolerated, warning of potential legal repercussions for those involved. The remarks, delivered during a press interaction in Amravati, come as heavy rains since September 20 have unleashed unprecedented devastation across the state, particularly in the arid Marathwada division, leaving farmers grappling with colossal losses in crops, livestock, and homes.

Bawankule, who also serves as the state BJP president and holds portfolios including revenue and excise, emphasized the inappropriateness of such demonstrations in times of crisis. "It is not right that convoys of leaders are stopped at such places by protesters," he stated, adding, "If anyone wants to make a statement, I am open to accepting it, but this (showing black flags) is not the way to protest. If it continues, we will also have to respond in the same manner. Action may be initiated against such people."

His comments appear to reference recent incidents where agitated locals and opposition supporters have confronted government delegations with black flags, symbolizing dissent over perceived delays in relief efforts. Similar protests have marked visits by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to inundated districts, highlighting simmering frustrations amid the humanitarian emergency.

The floods, triggered by torrential downpours totaling 975 mm in Marathwada—102% above the seasonal average—have battered eight districts, including Beed, Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad), Parbhani, Latur, Solapur, and Nanded. This marks the heaviest rainfall in the region in over 50 years, with some areas recording 60-110 mm in mere hours, causing rivers like the Godavari and Sina to swell beyond warning levels. The toll has been grim: at least eight fatalities, including three in Latur, two in Beed, and one each in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, and Dharashiv, attributed to drownings, lightning strikes, and house collapses.

Over 320 people have been rescued by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams deployed since September 22, with helicopters airlifting stranded villagers from rooftops in Dharashiv's Lakhi village and other hotspots. Hundreds of homes have crumbled, and infrastructure—roads, bridges, schools, and five small dams in Beed and Dharashiv—lies in ruins, exacerbating the isolation of 159 affected villages in Dharashiv alone.

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Agriculture, the lifeline of Marathwada's economy, has borne the brunt, with over 555,410 acres (approximately 224,700 hectares) of farmland submerged in just two days, alongside more than 33,000 hectares of standing crops destroyed across the region. Key kharif staples like soybean, cotton, corn, tur dal, urad dal, and sugarcane—poised for harvest—have been obliterated, affecting an estimated 3.164 million farmers statewide.

Initial assessments reveal Nanded (1.82 million acres), Solapur (995,000 acres), Yavatmal (856,000 acres), and Dharashiv (829,000 acres) as the hardest hit, with total inundated farmland nearing 10 lakh hectares since June. Livestock losses stand at around 186 cattle deaths, compounding the despair for smallholders with 1-5 acres, who lack the buffer to absorb such blows. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has decried the scale, claiming nearly 40 lakh farmers across 70 lakh acres have been wiped out, urging a Rs 10,000 crore central package to avert a total collapse in Marathwada.

In response, the Maharashtra government, under Chief Minister Fadnavis, has fast-tracked relief measures. On September 23, the cabinet approved a Rs 2,215 crore aid package for affected farmers, with Rs 1,339 crore earmarked for June-August damages already disbursed via direct bank transfers to over 31.64 lakh accounts; the remainder is slated for completion within eight days, targeting pre-Diwali payouts.

To streamline assessments, Fadnavis has mandated drone and mobile footage as official evidence, bypassing traditional panchnama delays, and instructed BJP workers to ensure no farmer is overlooked. "Farmers who lost crops, livestock, and houses due to heavy rain and flooding would not be left behind in the compensation process," Bawankule affirmed, vowing grassroots mobilization for thorough surveys.

Technical hurdles, however, persist. Bawankule acknowledged server downtimes plaguing e-KYC verifications for aid eligibility, a mandatory step coordinated across IT, revenue, and agriculture departments. "I have spoken with the information technology department... to facilitate and expedite the mandatory process," he said, promising resolutions to prevent further bottlenecks.

The minister also addressed a brewing controversy in Dharashiv, where reports emerged of senior officials attending a local dance event amid raging floods that marooned villages and claimed lives. "I have sought a detailed report from the revenue divisional commissioner. Appropriate action will be initiated once the report is submitted," Bawankule assured, signaling zero tolerance for dereliction during emergencies. The incident, which drew sharp online backlash, underscores broader criticisms of administrative lapses, including delayed NDRF deployments and inadequate early warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Political sparring has intensified the crisis narrative. Bawankule dismissed a demand by NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Jayant Patil for Rs 50,000 annual financial aid per flood-affected farmer, branding the opposition as "liars" who fail to deliver on promises. "These are liars and they will never implement such things. We are the people who actually implement and help the state's farmers," he retorted, crediting the Fadnavis administration for past interventions. He lambasted the Uddhav Thackeray-led government (2020-2022) for unfulfilled pledges despite full authority, contrasting it with BJP's proactive stance.

Patil, speaking in Solapur on September 25, had urged bypassing panchnama "torture" for immediate Rs 50,000 per acre relief, decrying the mental agony inflicted on heartbroken farmers in Madha taluka. Echoing this, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, after touring Latur and Dharashiv, called for a Punjab-style Rs 50,000 per hectare package and a complete loan waiver, while over 40 panchayats in Hingoli passed resolutions demanding waivers. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil piled on, seeking a Rs 10,000 crore central infusion.

Bawankule urged restraint, insisting, "It is not the time for allegations... farmers are in dire need, and the state government is committed to helping each one of them." As rains subside and assessments accelerate, the focus shifts to rebuilding Marathwada's battered agrarian heartland. Experts link the anomaly's severity to climate change, with IMD attributing it to a Bay of Bengal low-pressure system amplifying monsoon flows. Long-term calls grow for resilient crop varieties, better water management, and fortified infrastructure to shield this drought-prone belt from future vagaries. For now, amid the receding waters, Maharashtra's resolve—and its political fault lines—stand as starkly exposed as the sodden fields.

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