Chandrapur: The district administration has ordered a field-level survey of five major crops across 20% of the cultivated area in Brahmapuri, Jiwati and Ballarpur talukas, which were excluded from the state’s initial drought assessment.Collector Vasumana Pant has directed the respective tehsildars to form joint teams comprising talathis, gram sevaks and agricultural assistants to conduct the survey and submit their findings without delay. The exercise follows Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s directions to assess drought conditions in excluded talukas after local MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar raised the issue.The state govt’s decision follows a September 29 meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on drought, chaired by the revenue minister. The panel directed 100% crop inspections and completion of physical and digital damage assessments in 265 talukas where Trigger-1 drought conditions have been declared.To ensure transparency, the govt has also made farmers’ signatures on crop-damage assessment reports mandatory and directed that the reports be displayed at gram panchayat and panchayat samiti offices.Separately, the state has ordered ground-truthing of five major crops across 20% of the cultivated area in 19 other talukas that were excluded from the September 25 Trigger-1 list despite reported drought severity. The findings are expected to establish the extent of crop damage and help determine further intervention.Taluka agriculture officers have been asked to identify the five major crops and specify the areas to be surveyed. The final report, jointly signed by the tehsildar, taluka agriculture officer and block development officer, will be sent to the district administration through the district superintendent of agriculture for submission to the cabinet sub-committee via the agriculture commissionerate.
