Pune: Former Union agriculture minister and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to declare drought in the state without waiting for the formal criteria to be fulfilled.The three-page letter highlighted nine points that the state govt should work on to deal with the situation. Pawar said that 31 of the 36 districts have reported below-normal rainfall.The CM reviewed the situation in Tuesday’s cabinet meeting and told officials to chalk out a plan to mitigate the drought-like situation, adding that the survey should start on Oct 5 in line with NDRF norms. Pawar’s letter said Fadnavis should provide immediate help to the distressed farmers.Fadnavis on Friday told reporters in Mumbai, “Pawar is a senior politician and I welcome his gesture. We will not politicise it. Govt is already taking steps to mitigate drought, and if he has suggestions, we will accept them.”Pawar’s letter said standing crops, including soybean, cotton, maize, bajra, green gram and black gram have withered in several parts. “Weather experts have warned that El Niño will have more of an impact and may last till 2027. Considering the current crisis, the state should declare drought without waiting for the fulfilment of the formal criteria,” it added.Pawar also advised govt to measure rainfall in every tehsil to assess the impact of deficiency on agriculture. “Instead of depending on the district’s statistical data, govt can check the tehsil-wise rainfall data along with field visits, and after collectively assessing the situation, drought can be declared in the worst-affected tehsils so that farmers can get aid,” he said.The veteran politician urged Fadnavis to provide Rs 50,000 per hectare to growers to recover from their losses and Rs 25,000 aid to every farm worker’s family.The former Union agriculture minister said Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar farm loan waiver scheme can be expanded to benefit more farmers. He urged govt to increase the incentive to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 50,000 for those who regularly repay their farm loans and to implement the Re 1 crop insurance scheme with retrospective effect to cover more farmers.The other suggestions were setting up fodder camps for livestock and veterinary services. “The administration should identify the area facing acute water shortage so that tankers can be commissioned,” Pawar wrote.
