#Drought

Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Diwali assurances in Delhi, dry fields at home: Shinde seeks 'major relief' for Maharashtra's farmers

Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde met PM Modi for an hour on Oct 5 over the state's drought, and returned with assurances of central support — but for farmers watching crops fail ahead of Diwali, the question is when relief actually reaches the field.

6 October 2026 · 2 min read

Parched earth, typical of a drought (representative image)

India

74% of Maharashtra declared drought-hit: loans stayed, Rs 6,728 crore promised

Maharashtra has declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, nearly three-fourths of the state. The Fadnavis government stayed all farm-loan recoveries and unlocked Rs 6,728 crore under the Employment Guarantee Scheme, but debate has erupted over talukas left off the relief list.

5 October 2026 · 2 min read

Women farmers sowing seeds in a field in Raichur district, Karnataka

India

Thirst for relief: central teams fan out across drought-hit Karnataka as losses near ₹60,000 crore

Three central inter-ministerial teams began a three-day ground assessment in Karnataka, where 217 of 240 taluks are drought-hit. The state seeks ₹3,705 crore immediately and pegs total crop losses at ₹50,000-60,000 crore, with over 31 lakh farming families affected.

5 October 2026 · 2 min read

A farmer working a field with a tractor in India (file photo)

Opinion

The drought is natural; the delay is political

When a state must beg Delhi for disaster money that is owed by right, federalism has become charity. Karnataka's drought letter exposes a system that makes farmers wait for files while the rain fails.

4 October 2026 · 2 min read

A farmer harvesting rice by hand in Raichur, Karnataka (file photo)

India

"Worst in 150 years": Kharge writes to Modi, Shah as Karnataka drought grinds 31 lakh farming families

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has written to PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah seeking urgent release of ₹3,705.30 crore in drought relief for Karnataka, which faces a 58% rainfall deficit and estimated crop losses of ₹18,748 crore.

4 October 2026 · 2 min read