Desai seeks drought status for Patan and four other Satara talukas

Mumbai: Satara Guardian Minister Shambhuraj Desai has demanded that five talukas of the district, Patan, Wai, Satara, Javali and Koregaon, be included in the drought-affected areas. The aim is to let farmers in these talukas benefit from drought relief measures. Desai has pursued the matter by writing to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Taking note of the demand, Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Shinde have directed the Chief Secretary to take the necessary action without delay.

When drought was declared in the state, Satara district's Man, Khatav, Phaltan, Khandala and Mahabaleshwar talukas, among others, were included. However, Patan, Wai, Satara, Javali and Koregaon have not made it to the list of drought-hit talukas. Rain took a long break in these talukas too, and crops have been affected. Against this background, Desai has sought their inclusion.

Desai has drawn attention to the graver situation in Patan taluka. It has 14 revenue circles in all, of which nine have received less than 75 per cent of normal rainfall. The other five circles received more than 80 per cent, but crops have been badly hit because the rain stopped completely in September. In his letter, Desai said crops are on the verge of withering for lack of rain and farmers face a financial crisis.

Like Patan, Wai, Satara, Javali and Koregaon talukas have also seen crop losses because of the dry spell. Desai's view is that the rainfall figures alone should not be considered, and the actual effect of the dry spell on crops should be taken into account. He has demanded that these talukas be included under the drought criteria after considering this actual impact. He has placed the matter before the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister so that Satara district's farmers can benefit from drought relief measures.

With the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister directing the Chief Secretary to act promptly, further action on the demand is expected to gather pace at the government level. The process of deciding on the remaining talukas of Satara district on the basis of drought criteria will now be important.