Rohit Pawar Demands Aid for Severe Maharashtra Drought
MLA Rohit Pawar called for immediate financial aid and loan waivers for farmers, claiming Maharashtra is facing a drought worse than that of 1972.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar declared on September 28, 2026, that Maharashtra is experiencing a severe drought he characterizes as worse than the historic drought of 1972. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Pawar cited a 20 percent overall rainfall deficit as of September 27, with severe shortages in the Nagpur, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune, and Nashik divisions.
Pawar estimated agricultural losses exceeding Rs 77,000 crore and noted that farmers had already spent approximately Rs 95,500 crore of their own funds. He demanded that the state government provide immediate financial assistance for livestock owners and agricultural laborers, alongside a complete loan waiver, a halt to debt recovery, and the waiver of school fees and electricity bills in affected regions.
The MLA criticized the Maharashtra government for a lack of policy clarity. He specifically pointed to contradictory statements regarding the timing and nature of relief issued by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan.
