📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ashish Agrawal/Pranav Chaturvedi/Jaimin Gorasia
Agriculture
Maharashtra Drought Forces Removal of 5,000 Hectares of Orange Trees, Grapevines Wither
✍️ India Today
🗓 12 Oct 2026, 03:33 PM
👁 21
A severe drought in Maharashtra has led farmers to cut down 5,000 hectares of orange trees, while grapevines are reported to be dying.
The monsoon shortfall this year has pushed large parts of Maharashtra into a deep water deficit, prompting an emergency response from the agricultural community. Statewide, the lack of rainfall has reduced soil moisture to critical levels, threatening the viability of perennial crops.
Farmers in the affected districts have begun uprooting approximately 5,000 hectares of orange trees, a measure taken to prevent further loss of water and to re‑allocate scarce resources. Simultaneously, grapevines across the same zones are showing signs of severe stress, with many vines wilting and producing no fruit.
Agricultural officials warn that the combined loss of citrus and grape production could dent the state's revenue from these cash crops and increase pressure on already strained water supplies. Relief measures, including targeted irrigation support and drought‑resilient planting guidance, are being discussed at the state level.
Farmers in the affected districts have begun uprooting approximately 5,000 hectares of orange trees, a measure taken to prevent further loss of water and to re‑allocate scarce resources. Simultaneously, grapevines across the same zones are showing signs of severe stress, with many vines wilting and producing no fruit.
Agricultural officials warn that the combined loss of citrus and grape production could dent the state's revenue from these cash crops and increase pressure on already strained water supplies. Relief measures, including targeted irrigation support and drought‑resilient planting guidance, are being discussed at the state level.