A delegation of officials from the Union government conducted a field visit to assess the impact of drought in the villages of Bilakhed, Dondigar, Hirapur, Shewari, Rohini, and Khadki in Chalisgaon taluka of Jalgaon district on Thursday. The team, comprising Joint Commissioner of the Central Animal Husbandry Department, HR Khanna, and Assistant Director of the Statistics Department, Jagdish Shahu, among others, engaged with local farmers to understand the challenges faced due to erratic rainfall and drought conditions.
Accompanied by Additional Collector Ankush Pinate, District Superintendent Agriculture Officer Chandrakant Patil, and other officials, the central team inspected crops such as maize, cotton, and bananas that suffered damage from unpredictable weather patterns. Distressed farmers highlighted the adverse effects of insufficient monsoon rainfall on their kharif season crops, leading to the withering of banana and cotton plantations and maize crops due to water scarcity and exposure to heat. The insufficient rainfall also adversely impacted their rabi season crops, exacerbating the water shortage in the fields.
The team noted the depletion of borwells and percolation tanks, contributing to a severe scarcity of fodder and water for cattle. Addressing the farmers, Khanna assured that the team had meticulously recorded all details, and a comprehensive report would be presented to the central government.
The central team’s assessment involves visiting selected villages in drought-affected talukas. Earlier, the delegation visited villages in Malegaon taluka on Wednesday and explored Yeola and Sinnar talukas on Thursday. During these visits, the team engaged with local farmers, observed wilted crops of maize, cotton, bajra, and other varieties, and evaluated the water situation in various water resources.
