Major Relief for Farmers to Combat Drought in Maharashtra: Restrictions on Borewells Relaxed

According to a report by The Hindu, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a significant announcement on Sunday, November 8, 2026, to assist farmers amidst severe water scarcity and drought conditions in the state. He announced a temporary relaxation of restrictions on digging new borewells and deepening existing ones until December 15 to help farmers save their trees.

This important announcement was made at Lohari Savanga in Narkhed taluka of Nagpur district. The Chief Minister was engaged in a direct dialogue with rural sarpanchs and local representatives. Notably, the Chief Minister had stayed in Narkhed on Saturday, November 7, to celebrate the Diwali festival with a farmer's family.

However, this relaxation will not be applied uniformly for all. The Chief Minister clarified that this is not a blanket or unconditional waiver. Farmers must obtain prior permission from the authorities to dig borewells. He further stated that this relaxation would be granted only in cases where the protection of trees is absolutely essential. He mentioned that while the government faces certain difficulties in removing restrictions on digging or deepening borewells, the decision to take these special measures was made given the current drought situation. Along with this, he appealed to citizens to use water sparingly and to recharge groundwater.

A decrease of 18.8% in rainfall has been recorded in the state, and six districts are facing a rainfall deficit of 40-50%. In view of this serious situation, the Maharashtra government has declared drought in 265 talukas. During the visit, local representatives expressed grave concern over the current drought conditions and the damage to standing crops due to severe water shortage.

This announcement is the result of the assurance given previously on Saturday during a visit with farmer Rambhau Balpande. The Chief Minister had stayed at Rambhau's residence on Saturday, during which he assured that permission to dig borewells would be granted wherever possible to help farmers fight the drought situation.

Local representatives also drew attention to the fact that despite a large number of livestock in the area, veterinary hospital facilities are unavailable. On this matter, the Chief Minister directed the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad to immediately assess the situation and take an urgent decision regarding increasing veterinary facilities.

Delays in projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission were also discussed. The Chief Minister admitted that many works remain incomplete due to insufficient funding. Assuring them, he said that projects that are more than 75% complete will be provided funds on a priority basis so they can be finished as soon as possible, while the remaining projects will be completed in phases.

The Chief Minister also expressed concern over crop damage caused by wildlife. He stated that the current fencing scheme will be expanded, with priority given especially to farms adjacent to forest boundaries. Additionally, considering the drought situation, desilting work in reservoirs has been undertaken. He stated that this silt would be used to improve the quality of agricultural land.

Devendra Fadnavis has been serving as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and has led the state's administrative machinery.