Maharashtra, Karnataka drought: Centre to assess ground situation; Shivraj to visit states

Drought has gripped significant portions of Maharashtra and Karnataka, prompting the central government to send teams to assess the ground situation. Chouhan, the leader, plans to visit the affected states to review the challenges. Maharashtra has declared drought in 265 out of its 358 tehsils, or nearly three-quarters of the state, due to 18% less rainfall than usual during the monsoon season.

When compared to the normal rainfall of 970.9 mm, the state received only 798.2 mm between June 1 and September 26. Karnataka, too, has identified 177 taluks as drought-affected and has announced a substantial relief package of Rs 1,250 crore for around 50 lakh farmers.

Chouhan emphasized the importance of aligning rabi crop planning with water availability and soil moisture. He suggested that "water budgeting" should be the primary factor in determining which crops to sow. In regions where water is scarce, farmers should be encouraged to grow less water-intensive crops like pulses and oilseeds, while water-intensive crops should only be considered in areas with sufficient irrigation.

He also stressed that rainfed and irrigated areas require distinct strategies and warned that sowing crops without considering water availability could result in significant crop losses.

The central government's focus is on data-driven planning and enhanced coordination between the central and state governments to address the challenges posed by climate variability, uncertain rainfall, and water shortages on the rabi crop. The two-day National Agriculture Conference-Rabi Campaign 2026 gathered senior officials from the center and states, agricultural universities, ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and other stakeholders to finalize the rabi strategy.