Maharashtra Revenue Minister and Drought Relief Sub-Committee Chairman Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, issued a blanket directive prohibiting bank and financial cooperative staff from visiting farmers' homes for loan recovery during the ongoing drought crisis. The order, announced at a high-level Cabinet Sub-Committee review in Mumbai, also directs ground-level officials to remain stationed in their designated areas to support the farming community.

Key Directives Issued

Minister Bawankule instructed Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal to write to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seeking a formal circular staying all agricultural loan recoveries for the duration of the crisis. District Collectors and police officials have been directed to enforce the ban strictly on the ground. Bawankule said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made drought mitigation the state's highest priority, and that key field functionaries — including Talathis, Gram Sevaks, and Agriculture Officers — must camp in their designated areas.

Scale of the Drought Crisis

Relief and Rehabilitation Additional Chief Secretary Vinita Ved Singhal informed the meeting that 265 talukas have met the 'Trigger-1' scarcity criteria. Government Resolutions (GRs) are being expedited for 43 'Trigger-2' talukas without waiting for procedural delays. While sowing stands at 96 per cent, ground conditions remain alarming, according to officials. A final ground-reality report is scheduled for submission by 25 October.

Water, Fodder and Relief Measures

The Cabinet Sub-Committee ordered water distribution to prioritise drinking water first, followed by fodder crops, Rabi crops, and sugarcane — which will receive the lowest priority. Urban areas will face a mandatory 10 per cent water cut to build an emergency buffer for June. Currently, 560 water tankers have been deployed across affected districts, with a special focus on critical regions such as Dharashiv. The administration has been placed on high alert to secure drinking water and fodder supplies for the next 10 months.

Environment Minister Pankaja Munde recommended temporarily pausing personal and commercial construction approvals in severely affected regions. Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan ordered power disconnections for illegal water lifting around lakes. Rather than traditional cattle camps, the state will establish decentralised 'Fodder Depots'. Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Patil ordered a strict ban on moving fodder out of Maharashtra. A high-level three-secretary committee will formulate a comprehensive state fodder policy based on national best practices.

Preventing Migration and Ensuring Oversight

Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat emphasised strict oversight of crop-damage surveys (panchnamas). To prevent the large-scale migration of landless farm labourers, District Collectors have been instructed to aggressively pool Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to generate local employment opportunities. The high-level meeting was attended by ministers including Jaykumar Gore (Rural Development), Pratap Sarnaik (Transport), Babasaheb Patil (Cooperation), Girish Mahajan (Water Resources), Pankaja Munde (Environment and Climate Change), Sanjay Shirsat (Social Justice), and Makarand Patil (Relief and Rehabilitation), along with senior administrative officers.

With the final taluka assessment due by 25 October, the state's next steps on relief scaling and RBI's response to the loan moratorium request will be closely watched by farming communities across drought-hit Maharashtra.