Why was Palghar left out of Maharashtra's drought list?
A rainfall rule has excluded all of Palghar district from the state's drought-hit list, leaving tribal farmers without government aid.
The state government has reviewed the drought situation and declared drought-like conditions in 265 talukas across the state. Twelve different relief measures and concessions have been extended to these talukas. However, in making this decision, a technical criterion was applied requiring a rainfall deficit of more than 18 percent between June and September. It is this very criterion that has led to the entire Palghar district being left out of the list. Tribal farmers in the area are demanding that drought be declared by looking at the actual condition of crops in Palghar, rather than relying solely on rainfall data.
In the 265 talukas that have been included in the list, panchanamas of crops are being carried out by visiting the fields directly under "Trigger 1". Along with this, survey work involving geo-tagging and photographs is also underway. But since Palghar has not been included, farmers here will be completely deprived of government assistance. The district received heavy rain in July, but paddy transplantation was delayed as a result. The paddy crop is currently at the grain-filling stage and needs a great deal of water for its growth. However, since rain has stayed away over the past several days, there are fears that this crop, which is close to maturing, could dry up.
Unlike other districts in the state, Palghar does not have perennial irrigation facilities or a network of wells. Nor is the situation here conducive to taking a second crop, such as gram and wheat, during the rabi season. Most tribal farmers here depend for their entire year's livelihood solely on the paddy crop grown on rainwater. It is being said that excluding talukas based on July rainfall records amounts to breaking the backs of the poor farmers here. There is therefore a demand that the district administration submit a fresh survey report to the government based on the current condition of the crops.
Former sabhapati and farmer Pradeep Wagh said, "The farming pattern in Palghar is completely different from other parts of the state. The paddy crop is currently at a sensitive stage, and if it does not rain, there will be a major fall in yield. When there is a fear of losing a crop that is almost ready for harvest, excluding Palghar from the drought list is unjust."
