Trigger-1 drought norms imposed in all 14 Amravati tehsils; Collector orders action plans

A severe drought situation has developed in Amravati district after rain failed from June during the 2026 kharif season, along with other adverse conditions. Under a decision taken by the state government on Friday, 'Trigger-1' has been applied in all 14 tehsils of the district.

Against this background, Collector Ashish Yerekar has directed all sub-divisional officers and tehsildars to submit a 'drought action plan' for their areas without delay. A district-level review meeting on the plans will be held next Thursday. Officials must also submit panchnamas of crop damage in their tehsils, along with GPS locations, photographs and a detailed report on the condition of the crops.

Collector Yerekar has assigned responsibility for various measures across the administration. Tehsil agriculture officers are to assess crop damage accurately. Assistant registrars have been given the work relating to the Kisan loan waiver scheme, fresh AgriStack registration, e-KYC, the moratorium on loan recovery and loan restructuring.

Block development officers (BDOs) and deputy engineers of the soil and water conservation department are responsible for completing water conservation works under K. B. Jiramji at speed. Deputy executive engineers of Mahavitaran have been tasked with providing farmers at least 12 hours of uninterrupted power supply every day. Tehsildars will oversee the digital crop survey, loan disbursal to farmers and the smooth planning for beneficiaries of the loan waiver.

The joint director of higher education and the primary and secondary education officers are responsible for waiving examination fees for students of schools and colleges in drought-hit areas. Tehsildars and the district supply officer have been directed to plan as needed so that farmers and farm labourers who depend on agriculture do not face a shortage of foodgrain.

The soil and water conservation department will ensure that the available water is used fairly and transparently. The water resources department, taluka animal husbandry officers and tehsildars will work on growing fodder crops for livestock on silt-deposit (gaalper) land and making new fodder areas available. The public works department, the Zilla Parishad and BDOs have been made responsible for starting work on roads under the Mukhyamantri Baliraja Shet-Raste and Matoshri Pandan Raste schemes.

Administrations in all 14 tehsils, Amravati, Bhatkuli, Chandur Railway, Nandgaon Khandeshwar, Dhamangaon Railway, Achalpur, Anjangaon Surji, Teosa, Dharni, Chikhaldara, Warud, Morshi, Chandur Bazar and Daryapur, have been put on alert. Collector Yerekar has issued a stern warning that all departments must coordinate with one another and that there must be no negligence in carrying out relief and other measures.