Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state government is undertaking detailed planning to provide employment, foodgrains, drinking water and fodder for livestock in drought-affected areas over the next six to eight months.

Fadnavis said deficient rainfall during a crucial stage of crop growth had severely affected soybean cultivation in several areas, while cotton, tur and sugarcane crops had also suffered damage. Small farmers dependent on agricultural labour for their livelihood are facing economic hardship. The government plans to provide assistance through employment generation and food security schemes.

He expressed confidence that the Central team, which visited drought-affected villages and interacted with farmers, would submit a report highlighting the severity of the situation to the Union government.

“The government will also undertake desilting, repairs and rejuvenation of water storage structures under various Central and state schemes. Works in 25,000 villages had earlier provided relief even when the water deficit was between 15 and 17 per cent,” Fadnavis said. He added that software and mobile applications would be used to ensure transparency in implementation.

The meeting was attended by Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Jadhav Patil, and Central team head and Joint Secretary Muktanand Agrawal, among others.

Three teams of Central government officials visited agricultural fields and water sources in drought-affected villages across Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Jalna, Beed, Dharashiv, Washim and Yavatmal districts to assess the situation and interact with farmers.