Urgent Relief Demanded for Maharashtra's Wet Drought Crisis

Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress legislature party leader, has called on the Maharashtra government to promptly declare a 'wet drought' in the state. He demands financial aid of Rs 50,000 per hectare for farmers affected by excessive rainfall.

In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he highlighted how heavy rains in August and September wreaked havoc on crops across 30 districts, impacting approximately 17.85 lakh hectares of agricultural land. Farmers have neither received loan waivers nor retained their standing crops, putting them in severe distress and in urgent need of assistance.

The Marathwada and Vidarbha regions suffered significant setbacks, particularly in soybean, maize, and cotton crops, with concerns also raised for the upcoming Rabi season. Wadettiwar urged the suspension of bank loan recoveries from farmers, faster insurance claims processing, and immediate relief measures. Despite a recent cabinet meeting, no resolution materialized, leaving farmers disheartened.

(With inputs from agencies.)