State Ready in the Background of Possible El Niño; Emphasis Should Be Given on Planning of Available Water and Completion of Water Conservation Works – CM Devendra Fadnavis

Emphasis should be given on repair and rejuvenation of old water sources.
For saving, task force should be established at local level in every district.
Implement fodder development programme effectively.
Keep watch on fertilizer supply and distribution through AI.

Mumbai, April 2026 : In the background of possible El Niño, mitigation of this disaster should be done through preparedness, effective implementation and coordination. For this, all departments should implement immediate measures. Instructions have been given by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to focus on proper planning of water, speeding up water conservation works and repair and rejuvenation of old water sources.

A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to review the situation in the state in the background of possible El Niño. Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane, Minister of State for Agriculture, Finance and Planning Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, along with senior officials of agriculture, relief and rehabilitation, finance, water resources, water conservation, India Meteorological Department, finance and planning departments were present in the meeting.

According to the information given by the India Meteorological Department, this year the maximum impact of El Niño is likely to be felt in the months of August and September and below average rainfall has been forecast during the monsoon. In the month of May, the intensity of heat will remain comparatively low, however there is a possibility of more heat waves. Meanwhile, if a positive IOD develops, the intensity of El Niño’s impact can be reduced to some extent, it was also stated.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that in 2015, after the monsoon ended, the water storage in the state was only 45 percent, but at present the same storage is available even before the start of monsoon. Therefore, with proper planning, the state can face this situation effectively. Based on the experience of El Niño period in 2015, due to measures taken in 2018, crops could be saved. During the El Niño period, due to irregularity in rainfall, especially in Marathwada, a large impact was seen. If there is a long gap between two spells of rain, stress comes on crops, but through protective irrigation, crop loss can be reduced. Therefore, increasing water conservation and water storage capacity is very essential.

Works of Jalyukt Shivar and silt-free dam–silted farm schemes should be done immediately.

For this, the Chief Minister instructed that works under Jalyukt Shivar and silt-free dam–silted farm schemes should be completed immediately and on a large scale. For these works, the finance department should make funds available immediately and priority should be given to repair and rejuvenation of old water sources. Due to this, more water storage will be available at less cost. These means will prove effective in providing irrigation facilities even in conditions of low rainfall, he noted. A task force should also be created to monitor whether works under ‘G Ramji scheme’ are properly done and to obtain maximum works through it.

If rainfall in the state remains below 90 percent, there is a major impact on agriculture along with drinking water. In such a situation, advance preparation should be done to reduce losses. He also instructed that priority should be given to water conservation works under the MGNREGA scheme and available funds should be used effectively. Also, planning regarding drinking water should not be only for the current year but also considering the next summer. Keeping in mind the possible decrease in rainfall, it is necessary to store water and use it strictly, he emphasized. For water saving and other supplementary measures, a task force should be established at local level in every district. Through coordination of district collectors, irrigation department officials and representatives of local self-government institutions, strict use and storage of water should be ensured, Chief Minister Fadnavis instructed.

Fodder development programme should be implemented effectively.

To ensure that there is no shortage of fodder for livestock, he instructed that measures should be taken from now. As El Niño is likely to impact other states as well, instead of depending on other states, fodder development programme should be effectively implemented within the state. Fodder development programme should be undertaken in backwater areas of dams. Special attention should be given to how fodder will be made available in areas like Solapur, Sangli and Marathwada, where there is large livestock and fodder shortage is felt, he instructed. Immediate decisions should be taken regarding availability of fertilizers and implemented. Fertilizer distribution should be linked with ‘AgriStack’ system to increase transparency and emphasis should be given on strengthening inspection mechanism with the help of artificial intelligence, Mr. Fadnavis said.

Emphasis should be given on farm pond scheme – Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane.

On this occasion, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane said that in the background of possible El Niño, a meeting of all officers of the agriculture department has been held to handle agricultural issues effectively and detailed discussion has been done on various measures. Emphasis has been given on anticipating possible difficulties and making necessary preparations for them.

Due to uncertainty in this year’s rainfall, to ensure that crops in the Kharif season are not damaged, timely supply of fertilizers to farmers is essential. Especially, instructions have been given to distribute DAP fertilizer in a planned manner and necessary directions will be issued to concerned machinery. To ensure that artificial shortage of fertilizers and seeds is not created, field officers of the agriculture department have been instructed to inspect all sale centers, Bharane said.

Agriculture Minister Bharane said that considering the possibility of fodder shortage due to irregular rainfall, measures are also being taken for it. Mahabeej as well as other seed and fodder supplying institutions have been instructed to maintain necessary stock. If the situation of re-sowing arises, concerned institutions have also been instructed to be ready to supply additional seeds. Emphasis should be given on effective implementation of farm pond scheme for water storage for farmers. Necessary materials, especially plastic lining, should be made available for it, he said.

Agriculture department fully ready to face possible crisis.

To face the possible crisis, the agriculture department is fully ready and all necessary measures are being implemented immediately to avoid losses to farmers, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane clarified. On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance Department O.P. Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department Aseem Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary K.H. Govindraju, Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Ashwini Bhide, Additional Chief Secretary of Water Resources Department Deepak Kapoor, Principal Secretary of Cooperation Department Praveen Darade, Secretary of Environment Department Jayshree Bhoj, Animal Husbandry Secretary N. Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary of Soil and Water Conservation Department Manik Gursal, Director of State Disaster Management Centre Dr. Bhalchandra Chavan, Additional Director General of India Meteorological Department Sai Krishnan, along with Director of Tropical Meteorology Institute, Director of Nanaji Deshmukh Agriculture Sanjeevani Project, Director of IMET Weather Services and Director of Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre were present.