Maharashtra Faces Crop Loss on 14.44 Lakh Hectares, Compensation Announced for Farmers Across 29 Districts
06 September 2025, New Delhi: Maharashtra’s farmers are reeling under the impact of relentless monsoon rains that devastated standing crops across large parts of the state. Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane on Friday confirmed that nearly 14.44 lakh hectares of farmland spread across 29 districts has been submerged, causing extensive crop losses.
The heaviest damage was reported between 15 and 20 August, when monsoon showers were at their peak. During this period, 191 tehsils recorded rainfall far above normal, affecting crops across 654 revenue circles. In at least 12 districts, more than 10,000 hectares of farmland was destroyed.
Nanded emerged as the worst-hit district, with around 6.20 lakh hectares under water. Other major losses include 1.64 lakh hectares each in Washim and Yavatmal, 1.50 lakh hectares in Dharashiv, nearly 90,000 hectares in Buldhana, 47,000 hectares in Solapur, 44,000 hectares in Akola, and about 40,000 hectares in Hingoli.
Multiple Crops Affected, Relief Assured
According to Minister Bharane, a wide range of crops have been hit — including soybean, cotton, maize, urad, tur, moong, vegetables, fruits, bajra, sugarcane, onion, jowar and turmeric. He assured farmers that the damage assessment (panchnama) is in its final stage and that no farmer will be left out of compensation. “Every affected farmer will receive relief soon. The state government stands firmly with them,” he said.
He further added that the response is being carried out under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
The affected districts include: Nanded, Washim, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Akola, Solapur, Hingoli, Dharashiv, Parbhani, Amravati, Jalgaon, Wardha, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Latur, Dhule, Ratnagiri, Chandrapur, Satara, Nashik, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg, Gadchiroli, Raigad and Nagpur.
Free Electricity Scheme for Farmers
Amid the widespread destruction, the state government has also announced a major relief step under the Mukhyamantri Baliraja Yojana. To ease the financial burden of irrigation, MahaDiscom has been allocated ₹2,172 crore to provide free electricity to farmers using agricultural pumps of up to 7.5 HP capacity.
This scheme will run from April 2024 to March 2029, ensuring farmers get uninterrupted and cost-free power for irrigation, enabling them to better protect their crops and sustain production.
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