Mumbai: An 11-member team from the Centre will visit the state from Oct 8 to 11 to inspect the drought conditions and crop damage in Maharashtra. The state has declared drought in 74% of its talukas and asked the Centre for aid worth Rs 17,400 crore.The visit is meant to help the Centre make an objective assessment of the damage in the drought-hit areas of the state. The team has been divided into three groups. The first team will visit Ahilyanagar, Solapur and Pune district. The second team will visit Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Beed in Marathwada. The third team will visit Nagpur and Yavatmal districts in Vidarbha and some adjacent areas.The state had declared drought early on Sept 26. Typically, drought is declared at the end of Oct after completing panchanamas of crop losses.
