The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay high court that, considering the late arrival of the monsoon and the drought situation in the state, the government might continue providing fodder to cattle camps.
The government also assured the court that it would provide information regarding this to the court in the month of July pertaining to what steps it has taken during the drought period.
A division bench of Chief Justice Pradip Nandrajog and Justice Nitin Jamdar was hearing a petition filed by social activist Sanjay Lakhe Patil. He stated in the petition that there is water scarcity in many districts of Maharashtra the water stock was also less in the state therefore the government should declare “raddi drought” and should give crop insurance and other facilities to farmers.
The high court directed the state to give in writing what steps it has taken so far to tackle drought conditions in the state.
Senior counsel Anil Sakhare informed the high court that fodder would be provided in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. It was decided that these fodder will be kept open till June end but after seeing the delay in monsoon, high power committee will conduct a meeting soon and is likely to take decision of keeping fodders open in July too. The petitioner had demanded in his petition that direction should be given to create water facilities and emergency help to farmers.
According to the state government it has declared drought in 151 taluka and 268-revenue circle. State had also declared drought like situation in 5,449 villages in Maharashtra.
The government at the last hearing had told the high court that planning has been done at the district level and borewell digging was being carried out in some places while pipelines were also being repaired in other places.
