📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Sanket Oswal
Agriculture
Maharashtra Faces Worst Drought Since 1972, 80% Crops Lost, Reservoirs at 12% Capacity
✍️ Amar Ujala · Maharashtra
🗓 01 Oct 2026, 05:15 AM
👁 17
A severe drought gripping Maharashtra has devastated about 80% of the state’s crops and left reservoirs with only 12% of their usual water storage, the worst shortfall since 1972.
Maharashtra’s agricultural sector is reeling under a drought described by officials as the most severe since the 1972 crisis. Satellite data and on‑ground surveys indicate that roughly eight out of ten hectares of cultivated land have suffered complete crop failure.
Water levels in major reservoirs across the state have plunged to just 12% of their normal capacity, according to the state water resources department. The shortfall has forced many farmers to abandon sowing cycles and seek emergency relief.
State authorities have announced limited cash assistance and are urging the central government to expedite drought‑relief packages. Meanwhile, agricultural experts warn that prolonged water scarcity could trigger a sharp rise in food prices and deepen rural distress.
Local cooperatives are organizing community wells and rain‑water harvesting initiatives in an attempt to mitigate the immediate impact, but officials stress that long‑term water‑management reforms are essential to prevent a repeat of such a crisis.
Water levels in major reservoirs across the state have plunged to just 12% of their normal capacity, according to the state water resources department. The shortfall has forced many farmers to abandon sowing cycles and seek emergency relief.
State authorities have announced limited cash assistance and are urging the central government to expedite drought‑relief packages. Meanwhile, agricultural experts warn that prolonged water scarcity could trigger a sharp rise in food prices and deepen rural distress.
Local cooperatives are organizing community wells and rain‑water harvesting initiatives in an attempt to mitigate the immediate impact, but officials stress that long‑term water‑management reforms are essential to prevent a repeat of such a crisis.