Maharashtra Extends Drought Declaration to 305 Talukas, Covering Over 85% of the State

14 October 2026National

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on 14 October, after a State Cabinet meeting, that 40 more talukas had been added by supplementary resolution, taking Maharashtra's drought-affected tally from the 265 declared in September 2026 to 305 of the State's 358 talukas - more than 85% of its area. Each affected farmer will get Rs 5,000 credited before Diwali, and all twelve standard drought concessions were extended, including free power for agricultural pumps up to 7.5 HP. Debt relief widens to 3.5 lakh more farmers, about 16,000 illegal water connections were disconnected, and Marathwada remains worst hit, with groundwater below three metres.

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Maharashtra has 358 talukas across 36 districts and six revenue divisions - Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Marathwada), Amravati and Nagpur | Drought declaration in India follows the Manual for Drought Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, which grades drought as moderate or severe | Marathwada comprises eight districts and is among India's most drought-prone regions

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