📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prime Minister's Office
Weather
Maharashtra CM Pawar Calls for Drought Declaration as El Niño Triggers Severe Rain Deficit
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 19 Sep 2026, 12:01 PM
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Chief Minister Eknath Pawar said the state is facing a severe rain shortfall linked to the El Niño phenomenon and urged authorities to officially declare a drought in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra's chief minister, Eknath Pawar, highlighted that the current monsoon season has delivered significantly below‑average rainfall, a condition he attributed to the ongoing El Niño event. He warned that the deficit is already affecting water reservoirs, agriculture and rural livelihoods across the state.
Pawar urged the state government and relevant agencies to formally declare a drought, a step that would unlock emergency relief funds and trigger targeted assistance for farmers and water‑scarce districts. He emphasized that timely declaration is essential to mitigate crop losses and prevent a humanitarian crisis.
The minister also called for coordinated efforts with the central government to mobilise additional resources, including drought‑relief schemes and credit facilities for affected farmers. He assured that the administration is monitoring the situation closely and will update the public as conditions evolve.
Stakeholders, including agricultural cooperatives and local NGOs, have welcomed the call, noting that a drought declaration would streamline the flow of aid and enable faster implementation of water‑conservation measures.
The state weather department is expected to release detailed rainfall data later this week, which will inform the final decision on the drought status.
Pawar urged the state government and relevant agencies to formally declare a drought, a step that would unlock emergency relief funds and trigger targeted assistance for farmers and water‑scarce districts. He emphasized that timely declaration is essential to mitigate crop losses and prevent a humanitarian crisis.
The minister also called for coordinated efforts with the central government to mobilise additional resources, including drought‑relief schemes and credit facilities for affected farmers. He assured that the administration is monitoring the situation closely and will update the public as conditions evolve.
Stakeholders, including agricultural cooperatives and local NGOs, have welcomed the call, noting that a drought declaration would streamline the flow of aid and enable faster implementation of water‑conservation measures.
The state weather department is expected to release detailed rainfall data later this week, which will inform the final decision on the drought status.