Nagpur: Vidarbha accounts for 95 of 265 talukas that were declared drought-hit by Maharashtra govt under Trigger-1 category for this kharif season. The region now accounts for about 36% of the notified talukas, with all 11 districts making it to the list.A govt resolution (GR) issued by the relief and rehabilitation department on Saturday mentions that a report submitted by the commissioner (agriculture) on Sept 24 found drought-like conditions in these talukas because of rain deficit between June and now, along with other factors. The Saturday declaration follows the procedure laid down in the Drought Management Code 2016 and earlier GRs, adding that the state had been considering concessions as a special measure.Amravati division has 56 talukas on the list and Nagpur division 39. Yavatmal has 16, the most of any district in the state, followed by Amravati and Nagpur with 14 each and Buldhana with 13. Chandrapur has 12, Wardha and Akola 7 each, Washim 6, Bhandara 3, Gadchiroli 2 and Gondia 1. Outside the region, Marathwada has 74 talukas, Nashik division 49, Pune division 35 and Konkan 12.Farmers in these talukas will get 12 relief measures and concessions. These include a concession in land revenue, restructuring of crop loans and a stay on recovery of agriculture-linked loans. Current electricity bills of farm pumps above 7.5 HP will get a concession and power connections of farm pumps in scarcity-declared villages won’t be snapped. Examination fees of school and college students will be waived. The GR also mentioned relaxed MGNREGA norms so that as many works as possible can start, tanker water delivered wherever needed, arrangements for farm-dependent families and labourers so that they don’t face shortage of food grain, fodder for cattle. Water conservation works and potable water supply are also mentioned in the directives.District collectors have been directed to start ‘panchnamas’ immediately. They must collect photographs showing crop condition and GPS coordinates of the surveyed plots and send a crop-status report to the state through the commissioner (agriculture) at the earliest. Compensation for standing-crop losses will be announced in a separate GR once the prescribed procedure is complete.
