The declaration follows mounting pressure from within the party regarding the agricultural collapse across Maharashtra. NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar has been particularly vocal, characterizing the current environmental conditions as more catastrophic than the historic 1972 drought. He has demanded a comprehensive relief package, including a full waiver of agricultural loans, electricity bills, and school fees for affected families, while calling for an immediate halt to debt recovery efforts.
Discrepancies in government messaging have fueled this criticism. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised swift intervention, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan suggested that aid would be contingent on existing policy frameworks, leaving stakeholders questioning the actual mechanism of support. Data presented by Rohit Pawar underscores the gravity of the situation: as of late September, the state faced an overall rainfall deficit of 20 percent. The deficit reached 51 percent in August and 49 percent in September, with regional disparities hitting hard in Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Pune. Beyond the environmental damage, the economic toll is immense; farmers have reportedly spent Rs 95,500 crore out-of-pocket, missing out on potential earnings of Rs 1.28 lakh crore due to suppressed market prices for their produce.
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