Mumbai: The Marathwada region of Maharashtra is spiralling into an agricultural catastrophe. Months of weak rainfall have crippled the kharif season, leaving cultivators in Latur, Beed and Dharashiv scrambling to rescue what little remains while water scarcity deepens their worries.
Parched Fields, Dying Crops
From afar, occasional green patches still dot the landscape, but a closer look reveals a bleaker picture. Soybean stalks have turned jaundiced, pigeon‑pea vines are curling and desiccating, cotton bolls are meagre, and sugarcane—normally towering at 20‑25 feet—has stalled at a stunted 10‑12 feet and is beginning to wilt.
The districts of Latur, Beed, Parbhani and Dharashiv have borne the brunt of the shortfall. Between June and September the area logged merely 424.5 mm of rain, far below the normal 679.5 mm. The deficit has rippled beyond the fields, choking fodder supplies, rural employment, household incomes and the cash flow needed for the next sowing.
Escalating Expenses, Shrinking Returns
Farmers say every rupee spent on cultivation is turning into a loss. In Hingangaon, Tukaram Ambaji invested roughly ₹30,000‑₹35,000 per acre on his 40‑acre plot, yet the damaged yield will hardly recoup that outlay.
The financial hit extends beyond the current crop. Fields now demand extra labour and cost to clear wilted plants before the next season can commence.
Ram Bellade of Savargaon Rokda sowed soybean, pigeon‑pea and jowar across eight acres, spending close to ₹1.5 lakh. With the produce devastated, he foresees an additional ₹5,000 per acre to clean the land, and the remnants may serve only as cattle fodder.
Sugarcane growers face a parallel dilemma. In the village of Hagdal, Balaji Munde reports that his cane, which usually shoots up to 20‑25 feet, has stalled at just 10‑12 feet and is now drying out.
Water Reservoirs Stretching to Their Limits
The drought has also drained local water bodies. Ponds in Latur and Beed are nearly dry, and the Majra River—once a lifeline for Latur—has receded sharply.
The Majra Dam, straddling the Latur‑Dharashiv‑Beed border, sits at an alarmingly low level. Across Latur district, the average storage of 158 reservoirs has slipped to roughly 12.5 % of capacity.
Compounding the crisis, many traditional water sources remain under‑utilised or suffer from leakage and poor management, intensifying concerns over sustainable water governance.
Farmers Confront a New Set of Challenges
For growers around Latur, the drought has unfolded in three phases: first, the difficulty of sowing; second, the battle to keep seedlings alive; and now, the urgent need to clear ruined crops and secure funds for the next planting cycle.
Residents frequently invoke the historic 1972 drought when describing today’s severity. A former district council member remarked that the current conditions rank among the gravest the region has seen since that year.
Government Relief Measures
The Maharashtra state government has begun rolling out assistance to the hardest‑hit talukas. By the end of September, an additional 43 talukas joined the 265 already declared drought‑affected.
Authorities are discussing measures such as crop‑loss assessments, emergency water provisions and fodder distribution. Officials estimate that addressing the drought could impose an extra fiscal burden of roughly ₹50,000 crore on the state budget.
Nevertheless, immediate relief remains the priority for farmers. Beyond compensation for lost yields, many families need urgent financial support to meet household expenses until they can restart the next agricultural cycle.
