Maharashtra Grants ₹5,000 Drought Relief as Gujarat Leaves Farmers to Fend For Themselves

While Maharashtra has rolled out an immediate ₹5,000 cash transfer for farmers across 305 drought-hit talukas ahead of Diwali, neighbouring Gujarat offers no such respite to its own agricultural belt facing severe seasonal rainfall deficits and dangerously depleted irrigation dams.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis chaired a high-level Cabinet meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday alongside Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. Breaking administrative tradition by bypassing normal November-December timelines, the Maharashtra government expanded its official drought list by 40 additional talukas and announced direct bank transfers to ensure liquidity for farmers during the festive season.

Maharashtra Fast-Tracks Direct Cash and Debt Relief

Beyond the ₹5,000 advance payment, Maharashtra has finalised a list of 3.5 lakh farmers for its loan waiver scheme, with administrative processing already under way. Ground water levels across regions like Marathwada have plummeted by more than three metres, prompting the state to deploy GPS-tracked water tankers and disconnect over 16,000 illegal water connections.

The cabinet also implemented an unconditional waiver on educational fees, ordered a complete freeze on forceful debt recovery by banks and microfinance institutions, and committed to directly purchasing fodder to sustain livestock.

Fadnavis stated that since Central government relief protocols involve procedures that cannot be concluded before Diwali, the state opted to utilise its own resources immediately to support farming families.

Gujarat Farmers Barred at Secretariat Amid Mounting Crop Losses

In stark contrast, Gujarat has issued no drought relief package despite severe distress across its northern and western coastal districts. While statewide rainfall stats reached 89.19% of the 30-year average—inflated largely by heavy downpours in South Gujarat—districts like Devbhumi Dwarka faced an 83.5% rainfall deficit. Other primary farming zones like Porbandar, Jamnagar, and Kutch logged seasonal deficits ranging between 57 and 69%.

The water crisis extends deep into the state's storage infrastructure, with 116 out of 206 medium and small dams holding under 50% capacity. Critical irrigation structures like the Sipu Dam in Banaskantha sit virtually dry at 4.16%, while the Bhadar Dam in Rajkot holds just 19.90% capacity, threatening the upcoming winter Rabi season.

Seeking urgent intervention, farmer leaders led by Bharatsinh Jhala travelled to Gandhinagar to demand an official drought declaration, ₹25,000 per hectare in crop loss assistance, and agriculture loan waivers. However, security personnel stopped the delegation at the Secretariat entrance, informing the leaders that they were "blacklisted" from entering the premises.

The leaders were forced to hand over their petition at the main gate. The petition demands a year-long economic package for farmers and farm workers, fodder arrangements for livestock, and immediate financial support, warning that failure to act will trigger statewide agitations in the coming days.