Minister reaches out to drought-hit farmers, offers reassurance and support
Inspects crop damage by visiting fields
Listens to farmers' grievances and assures them of assistance
Sangli, November 2026 : With drought conditions worsening on one hand and standing crops drying up on the other, farmers are facing severe distress as their investments running into lakhs of rupees go to waste. Understanding their hardships, Maharashtra Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar reached out to affected farmers on Monday and offered them reassurance and support.
To ensure that drought-hit farmers do not lose the joy of Diwali, the Minister visited Pimpri Khurd village in Atpadi taluka and interacted directly with farmers in their fields. He also visited a farmer's home, shared a meal with the family and celebrated Diwali with local farmers. He assured them that the government stood firmly behind them during this difficult period.
MLA Suhas Babar, Tehsildar Sheetal Bandgar, elected representatives and officials from the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti, government employees and a large number of farmers were present on the occasion.
Following the directions of the Chief Minister and both Deputy Chief Ministers, the state government has launched an initiative to celebrate Diwali with farmers in drought-affected regions. Pimpri Khurd was selected as part of this programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said the objective of celebrating Diwali with drought-hit farmers and their families was not merely to share the festive spirit. It was also an opportunity to understand their problems firsthand and plan measures to tackle the possible drought situation in the coming months.
He said the government had already begun planning relief measures in view of the possibility of drought conditions over the next six months. Farmers would also be involved in the planning process, and appropriate steps would be taken to reduce the severity of their hardships.
Meal at Farmer's Home, Distribution of Diwali Essentials
During the visit, Minister Prakash Abitkar distributed Diwali ration kits among residents of Pimpri Khurd.
Accompanied by MLA Suhas Babar, he visited the residence of Nitin Raosaheb Patil and shared a meal with his family. Interacting with family members, the Minister joined them in celebrating the festival and sharing its festive spirit.
He also visited the Hanuman temple, where he interacted with farmers and listened to their concerns and difficulties.
Sixth Phase of Tembhu Irrigation Project Nears Completion
Reassuring residents, MLA Suhas Babar said that work on the sixth phase of the Tembhu Lift Irrigation Scheme had gathered momentum following the approval granted in 2019 and the subsequent availability of funds.
The project is aimed at addressing drought conditions and water supply problems in Atpadi taluka. Work on the sixth phase is now in its final stages, he said.
He added that efforts were being made to extend the benefits of the scheme to villages that had so far remained outside its coverage, with the aim of providing them access to water by the end of February.
Drought Relief Measures and Advance Assistance
Tehsildar Sheetal Bandgar briefed the Minister on the drought mitigation measures being implemented by the administration.
These include ensuring the availability of drinking water, supplying water through tankers, arranging fodder for livestock, taking steps to establish fodder depots, conducting crop damage assessments and distributing various forms of government assistance.
She said crop damage assessments had been completed and advance assistance of Rs 5,000 had been distributed on a large scale to eligible farmers.
The administration was also coordinating with the concerned departments to resolve the problems faced by villagers, she added.
Farmer Shares His Distress Over Crop Loss
At the beginning of the visit, Minister Prakash Abitkar inspected a banana plantation belonging to farmer Jagannath Jadhav, which had suffered extensive damage due to drought.
Jadhav had planted the banana crop on 2.5 acres in August and had spent approximately Rs 5.5 lakh on the plantation. However, severe water shortages over the past few months had devastated the crop just as it was approaching the harvesting stage. The banana bunches dried up, destroying the farmer's hopes of earning an income from his investment.
Sharing his ordeal, Jadhav said that the money he had invested in cultivation, running into lakhs of rupees, had gone to waste. He said the drought had pushed farmers into an extremely difficult financial situation and urged the government to provide maximum compensation to help them recover from the crisis.
Farmers Demand Fodder Depots
Residents demanded the immediate establishment of fodder depots to meet the needs of approximately 1,600 cattle in three villages, including Pimpri Khurd and neighbouring areas. They also sought the completion of pending work on an electricity transmission line.
Responding to their demands, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar said officials had been instructed to take necessary steps to establish fodder depots wherever required, alongside efforts to address drinking water shortages.
The Minister also interacted with villagers and took note of their various concerns and demands.
