Central team visits Yavatmal farms to assess drought damage to cotton, soybean and tur

Yavatmal: An inter-ministerial team of the central government toured Yavatmal district on Saturday, October 10, to assess the drought caused by a long break in kharif rains that has scorched crops. The team visited farms in Madkona and Lasina in Yavatmal taluka and Dodki, Loni, Mandavgad and Vatphali in Ner taluka, assessed the cotton, soybean and tur crops and spoke to farmers.

The team was led by Arjesh Kumar Madhok, director of the monitoring directorate of the Union water resources department, and included Seema Rani, under secretary in the agriculture and farmers' welfare department, Sanjay Meena, under secretary in the rural development department, and Mahesh Kumar, joint director in the finance ministry's department of expenditure. Collector Vikas Meena, district superintending agriculture officer Manojkumar Dhage and officials of several departments accompanied them.

At the Shri Gaurakshan Sanstha cow shelter in Yavatmal city, the team gathered details of the number of cows, the fodder available and the state's measures. At a minor irrigation project at Kita Kapra in Yavatmal taluka it reviewed the fallen water level, the groundwater position and remedial steps. The team also met the family of a farmer who had died by suicide to understand their difficulties.

The state has applied the first drought trigger in 265 talukas, including all 16 talukas of Yavatmal district. The district has about 8.18 lakh livestock and faces a fodder shortage, forcing some farmers to sell animals, Loksatta reported. The team will report to the central government on the basis of its inspection, and further action on central aid will follow, a government press release said.

Sources: Loksatta; Hindusthan Samachar; Mahasamvad