Marathwada Drought Deepens, Withering Crops and Cattle Distress Sale Hit Farmers

A special report from Marathwada highlights a severe agrarian crisis as drought and monsoon deficits hit Maharashtra. With 265 talukas officially declared drought-hit, standing crops are withering under intense heat, and more than 650 farmers have died by suicide across the Marathwada region this year. In districts like Nanded, acute shortages of water and fodder have forced distressed farmers to sell their cattle at steep losses. Local cultivators report that promised compensation from earlier floods and crop insurance remain largely unpaid despite completing verification formalities. In response to mounting water shortages, authorities have announced a 10 percent cut in urban water supplies, further impacting irrigation and deepening rural distress across the state.