13 more Vidarbha talukas added to drought list, total rises to 108

Nagpur: The grip of drought in Vidarbha is tightening. The state government has added 13 more talukas in the region to the list of drought-hit areas, taking the total number of drought-hit talukas across Vidarbha to 108. The latest addition brings more areas under drought assessment, raising concern over crop losses and the difficulties facing farmers.

After the addition, the number of drought-hit talukas in Nagpur division has risen from 39 to 52. In Amravati division, the number remains at 56. The figure in Nagpur division has thus gone up by about one-third, reflecting the growing scale of the challenge facing the region's rural economy.

The newly added talukas are spread across four districts of Nagpur division. One taluka, Karanja, has been added from Wardha district. Two talukas, Mohadi and Tumsar, have come in from Bhandara district.

Gondia district accounts for the largest share, with seven talukas included in the drought-hit category: Gondia, Amgaon, Deori, Salekasa, Arjuni Morgaon, Sadak Arjuni and Goregaon. Three talukas of Chandrapur district, Brahmapuri, Jiwati and Ballarpur, are also in the new list.

The addition shows that the geographical spread of drought-related concerns in Vidarbha continues to widen. With more talukas now on the official list, the focus will be on assessing crop losses and deciding the assistance to be given to affected farmers.

However, a taluka's inclusion in the drought-hit list does not by itself fix the amount of compensation or guarantee immediate relief. The assistance farmers receive will depend on the applicable government orders, the assessment of crop losses and the prescribed eligibility conditions.