Latur faces rainfall deficit, BJP MLA urges Maharashtra govt to declare drought in district

A BJP MLA from Latur has urged the Maharashtra government to declare drought in Latur district and other parts of Marathwada citing inadequate rainfall and growing concerns over crops drinking water and cattle fodderLatur Rural MLA Ramesh Karad submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday seeking an immediate drought declaration and relief measures for farmers facing the impact of the prolonged dry spellKarad highlighted the condition of soybean and sugarcane which are important to the rural economy of the region He said the crops were under severe stress because of insufficient rainfallFarmers have already spent heavily on seeds fertilisers pesticides farm operations and labour They are now staring at the possibility of losing their entire investment Karad claimedWater and fodder availability under pressureKarad said the situation had gone beyond crop losses with rivers streams lakes and wells gradually drying up Falling groundwater levels could further affect the availability of drinking water for people and livestock in the coming weeks he saidHe said farmers rely heavily on the kharif harvest to repay loans meet household expenses and fund the following agricultural season A crop failure could therefore have a wider impact on the rural economyKarad called for immediate crop damage assessments a review of water and fodder availability and drought relief for Latur Rural and other affected areas of MarathwadaKavhekar seeks financial assistanceFormer Latur MLA and BJP leader Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar has also appealed to the government to declare drought in Latur and Marathwada and provide financial assistance to farmersKavhekar said delayed and inadequate rainfall had affected soybean tur moong urad and jowar crops with stunted growth reported in several areas He said farmers in some locations risked losing their entire cultivation investmentHe also raised concerns over pending crop insurance compensation for the 2025 kharif season According to Kavhekar farmers across 60 revenue circles in Latur district were still waiting for insurance payouts even after May 2026He urged the government to coordinate with insurance companies and ensure the pending compensation reaches farmersrsquo bank accountsLaturrsquos drinking water supply also a concernKavhekar also highlighted the drinking water situation in Latur city and sought speedy completion of water supply projectsHe recalled that a project to transfer water from Ujani dam to Manjara dam was inaugurated around 22 years ago but remains incompleteAnother project involving a nearly 65km pipeline from Dhanegaon dam is currently under construction to supply Latur city Kavhekar called for its priority completion and also demanded water meters for household connections to reduce wastage and improve management of the cityrsquos limited water resourcesWith inputs from PTI