Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Monday, 5 October launched a blistering attack on the Maharashtra state government, warning that the state faces an unprecedented 9-to-10-month-long severe drought after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officially confirmed the monsoon's withdrawal from most parts of the state. The party said the departure of a largely dry monsoon — without the return showers farmers had been hoping for — has shattered the last remaining hopes of cultivators across Maharashtra.

Scale of the Rainfall Deficit

According to an editorial published in the Thackeray camp's party mouthpiece 'Saamana', more than 20 out of 36 districts in Maharashtra recorded an unprecedented rainfall deficit this season. The delayed arrival of the monsoon disrupted early sowing, and subsequent planting efforts were rendered futile as rains vanished for nearly two consecutive months, wiping out crops across Marathwada, Vidarbha, and Central Maharashtra.

The editorial cited district-wise figures: Solapur recorded the state's steepest deficit at 58 per cent, followed by Beed at 51 per cent, Hingoli at 49 per cent, Jalna at 48 per cent, Ahilyanagar and Dharashiv each at 46 per cent, and even the typically rain-heavy coastal district of Sindhudurg registering a 36 per cent shortfall.

Allegations Against State Administration

The Thackeray faction alleged that local officials in drought-hit Solapur deliberately took the Guardian Minister to inspect an irrigated, green farm rather than showcasing the actual parched conditions elsewhere — what the editorial described as 'a cruel mockery of suffering farmers.' The editorial further noted that ministers and leaders who had previously visited farm bunds for photo-ops have, like the monsoon itself, retreated — in their case, back to the Secretariat — leaving farmers waiting desperately for immediate relief.

Abnormal Heat and Resource Collapse

The crisis has been compounded by abnormal weather patterns. According to the Saamana editorial, what is typically called 'October Heat' set in as early as mid-August, with temperatures climbing to 36 degrees Celsius across the state. This prolonged heat has dried up green pastures, wells, and local water bodies, triggering acute shortages of both drinking water and cattle fodder in affected regions.

Farmer Suicides and Human Cost

The editorial warned that a fresh wave of farmer suicides has already commenced in Vidarbha and Marathwada due to mounting financial distress. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party made clear that simply declaring a drought does not absolve the government of its responsibilities, and demanded concrete, immediate relief measures for cultivators. This comes amid a long history of agrarian distress in these two regions, which have consistently recorded among the highest rates of farm suicides in the country.

What Happens Next

With the monsoon now officially withdrawn and the lean agricultural season setting in, pressure is mounting on the Maharashtra Mahayuti government to announce drought relief packages, increase fodder supply, and expedite compensation for crop losses. Civil society groups and opposition parties are likely to intensify demands for a formal drought declaration across affected districts, which would unlock state and central relief funds.