Maharashtra is facing a widespread drought, with 305 of its 358 talukas declared drought-affected. More than eight lakh farmers have been affected so far. A rainfall deficit, prolonged dry spells and high temperatures have damaged crops, depleted water resources and created a shortage of fodder for livestock. The crisis has also reduced rural employment, forcing farmers and landless labourers to migrate in search of work. The state has announced measures to conserve water, support fodder cultivation, change irrigation practices and employ in drought-hit areas. The situation has revived memories of the devastating 1972 drought, which affected more than 25 million people. Here, we examine the key factors contributing to the severe drought in the state.
How widespread is the drought in Maharashtra?
The Maharashtra government has declared 305 of the state's 358 talukas drought-affected. The original assessment puts the affected area at 85.19% of the state's geographical area. More than eight lakh farmers have been affected so far.
The declaration has revived memories of the 1972 drought, one of the worst the state has experienced, which affected more than 25 million people.
Why has the drought been declared at this stage?
Drought declarations generally take place towards the end of the southwest monsoon or after the Kharif (monsoon cropping) season. However, prolonged dry spells, high temperatures, a weakened monsoon and drying crops prompted the state government to declare drought in 305 talukas before the usual assessment period.
How much rainfall did Maharashtra receive, and what role did El Niño play?
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Maharashtra received 804.4 mm of rainfall during the 2026 southwest monsoon, against the seasonal average of 994.5 mm. This represents a shortfall of 190.1 mm, or approximately 19%.
El Niño (a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that influences weather patterns) is a major factor behind the state's below-average rainfall.
Which regions and districts have been worst affected by the rainfall deficit?
Marathwada, which has eight districts, recorded the highest regional rainfall deficit of 38%. Hingoli was the worst-affected district in the region, with a 48% deficit.
Vidarbha, which has 11 districts, recorded a rainfall deficit of 27%. Amravati reported the highest deficit in the region, at 42%.
Overall, 21 of Maharashtra's 36 districts received below-normal rainfall. The IMD's official monsoon season covers June 1 to September 30.
Which divisions have the highest number of drought-affected talukas?
According to the figures in the original assessment, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has 76 drought-affected talukas, including 9 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, 8 in Jalna, 11 in Beed, 10 in Latur, 8 in Dharashiv, 16 in Nanded, 9 in Parbhani, and 5 in Hingoli district. In contrast, in Amravati division, there are a total of 56 drought-affected talukas, including 13 in Buldhana district, 14 in Amravati, seven in Akola, six in Washim and16 in Yavatmal.
Similarly, Nasik division has 52 talukas declared as drought affected that includes 13 taluks in Nashik, four in Dhule, 15 in Jalgaon, six in Nandurbar while 14 taluks in Ahilya Nagar district. The Nagpur division has 52 drought-affected talukas, including eight in Wardha district, 14 in Nagpur, five in Bhandara, eight in Gondia, 15 in Chandrapur and two in Gadchiroli district.
Moreover, the Pune division has 51 drought-affected talukas, including ten in Pune, 11 in Solapur, 11 in Sangli, 11 in Satara and eight in Kolhapur while in Konkan division, there are a total of 18 drought-affected talukas, including three in Palghar district, one in Raigad, six in Ratnagiri while eight in Sindhudurg district.
How has the drought affected crop production?
Prolonged dry spells and inadequate soil moisture have affected sowing and crop growth. Major crops such as soybean, tur (pigeon pea) and cotton have suffered severe moisture stress, affecting their expected yields.
Crop damage has also reduced agricultural employment, affecting farmers and labourers who depend on these crops for their livelihoods.
How serious is the fodder shortage?
Maharashtra faces a green fodder deficit of about 22.79% and a dry fodder deficit of 21.43%. The shortage affects the state's livestock population of approximately 2.78 crore.
Farmers have been asked to use water judiciously, prioritising drinking water and growing green fodder.
What measures has the state announced to increase fodder availability?
The state cabinet has approved a Fodder Development Policy under which district administrations will prepare plans to cultivate grasses, fodder trees and improved fodder crops. The plans will also cover traditional and non-traditional sources of animal feed.
Under the Guaranteed Fodder Procurement Policy, the government will directly purchase fodder cultivated by local farmers at a guaranteed price and distribute it in shortage-affected regions.
District collectors, along with the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry departments, will establish dedicated fodder banks. These banks will facilitate transferring surplus fodder from districts with adequate supplies to drought-hit areas.
What financial assistance is available for fodder cultivation?
Under the Chief Minister Rural Livestock Entrepreneurship Scheme, the government has announced a 100% subsidy on fodder seeds.
Individual farmers can receive up to Rs 4,000 to cultivate fodder on one hectare, while farmer groups can receive up to Rs 20,000 for five hectares.
The rules have been relaxed to allow multiple distributions of fodder seeds in a year and remove strict minimum livestock requirements. The state government has sanctioned Rs 62 crore to distribute fodder seeds to farmers with reliable water sources.
How has the drought affected dams and groundwater resources?
The rainfall deficit has affected groundwater levels and reservoir storage, raising concerns over drinking water supplies.
The average water storage in Maharashtra's dams has fallen to 75.25%, compared with 88.82% during the corresponding period last year. Medium irrigation projects in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar region have only 21.12% of their storage capacity filled.
Rising temperatures have also increased water loss through evaporation. The Jayakwadi Dam, for instance, loses about 1.649 million cubic metres of water daily through evaporation.
Heavy dependence on groundwater, combined with inadequate rainfall, has depleted groundwater reserves. In Nagpur, local authorities have banned drilling new borewells and deepening existing ones. In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked its officers to identify old wells in their respective areas so they can be used during water shortages.
What restrictions have been imposed to conserve water?
The state government has announced a minimum 10% reduction in water use across municipal corporations, municipalities and gram panchayats from October 16, 2026.
Pune has suspended water supply every Thursday from October 15. It has also banned the use of drinking water for construction and closed vehicle-washing centres.
The government has prioritised drinking water and livestock needs over irrigation, with canal water allocations for agriculture heavily restricted. Industries have been directed to recycle at least 30% of the water they consume.
The government has also increased the deployment of water tankers, announced action against illegal water connections and directed local bodies to repair leakages in municipal water distribution networks.
What changes are farmers being asked to make to their irrigation methods and cropping patterns?
Farmers have been asked to move away from traditional flood irrigation, in which large quantities of water flow across fields, towards drip and sprinkler systems. Drip irrigation supplies water directly to plants, while sprinkler systems distribute water over crops. These methods can reduce agricultural water consumption by 30% to 50%.
The government has also encouraged farmers to diversify their crops and temporarily move away from water-intensive crops such as sugarcane towards drought-resistant varieties, pulses and millets.
Farmers have been asked to avoid drilling new borewells or deepening existing ones to protect rapidly depleting groundwater reserves.
What can households do to conserve water?
Households have been advised to reuse leftover water from washing vegetables, cooking and laundry to water plants, flush toilets and clean floors.
Local administrations have also been asked to regularly check dripping taps, leaking pipes and running toilet flush valves and repair them promptly. These leakages can waste hundreds of litres of water every day.
How is the drought affecting rural migration?
The drought has increased rural workers' movement to cities and other states in search of employment. Communities dependent on sugarcane cutting and cotton picking are among those affected, as poor crop conditions have reduced the demand for agricultural labour.
Marginal farmers and landless labourers who depend on seasonal agricultural work are leaving their villages earlier than usual because of the shortage of local employment.
Why are workers migrating earlier than usual this year?
Traditionally, marginal farmers and landless labourers from rain-shadow areas (regions that receive less rainfall because of their geographical location) begin migrating after the Kharif harvest or when the sugarcane crushing season starts around Diwali.
This year, acute water shortages and a lack of agricultural employment have forced thousands to leave earlier. Families have started moving out weeks before Navratri, Dasara and Diwali, when seasonal migration normally gathers pace.
Where are the migrant workers going?
Workers have traditionally moved to urban centres such as Pune, Mumbai and Nashik. However, more workers from drought-hit regions are now heading to Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states for seasonal work.
Karnataka was also an earlier destination for workers from Maharashtra. However, as Karnataka is also facing a severe drought this year, workers are increasingly moving towards Tamil Nadu.
Migrants from Marathwada are travelling to textile hubs, brick kilns and agricultural areas in Tamil Nadu in search of regular daily wages and access to water.
How have crop losses affected farmers and agricultural labourers?
According to the Maharashtra government's figures cited in the original assessment, crop destruction covering 36 million hectares has resulted in losses of more than Rs 7,000 crore.
The losses have reduced agricultural earnings and wiped out local employment opportunities, forcing marginal farmers and landless labourers to migrate for seasonal work.
In districts such as Beed, some families are dealing with drought conditions just months after losing their savings and investments in devastating regional floods.
What are farmers and labourers demanding to survive in drought-hit areas?
Farmers and landless labourers are seeking more employment opportunities in their villages so they can earn a living without migrating. They are demanding more work under the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).
The shortage of local work has weakened their bargaining power. Workers forced to migrate under financial pressure are vulnerable to exploitative, low-wage contracts arranged by inter-state labour contractors.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has promised that the state government will ensure local employment to help people cope with the drought.