Number of drought-prone taluks rises in Maharashtra

The state planning commission has questioned the findings of the committee appointed under former chief secretary V Rangnathan who has declared 166 taluks as drought-prone.

The commission has directed state irrigation department to find out number of taluks which are drought prone on the basis of average rain fall and irrigation potential achieved.

After Maharashtra state was constituted in 1960, nine committees were constituted to decide, how many taluks in the state are drought prone. The first-ever committee known as Fardasani committee, after carrying out detail study found that, 53 taluks in the state are drought-prone.

Since then eight more committees were formed and with report of every committee number of drought-prone taluks have only gone up. The latest Ranganathan Committee, which identified 166 taluks as drought-prone, of the 353 taluks of the state.

Speaking with Business Standard a member of planning commission said, "This clearly means thousands of crores which were spent on creating irrigation facilities, have gone down the drain, leaving majority part of the state to whims of nature."

This happens because of competition among MLAs to get more and more funds for their constituencies, as once taluka is declared drought prone, one get funds from various central and state government schemes.

However if we have to combat drought and improve the condition of people living in drought prone area then funds under these schemes, should go to really those who need it and there should be scientific attempt to decide, which are really drought prone taluks in the state.

The commission has asked, irrigation department to determine number of taluks on the basis of average rainfall in last 20 years and irrigation potential achieved, said executive chairman of state planning commission Ratnakar Mahajan.

Elaborating on how planning commission wish to decide any taluk is drought prone or not Mahajan said, "The average rainfall has been given 75 basis points and irrigation facilities 25 basis points to arrive at the conclusion. If average rain fall of 20 years, is less than average of the district and if average area covered by irrigation is less than, state average, then that taluks should be considered as drought prone."

However BJP MLA from Nagpur Devendra Phadnavis has objection to the whole idea of allocation of funds on taluk. basis and insist, they should be distributed on regional basis by taking into consideration macro indicators.