Jalna, Sep 27 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday questioned the Maharashtra government’s use of the term “trigger” while announcing drought in several talukas of the state.
The term is part of Drought Management Code 2016 (updated in 2020), which is the framework to declare drought conditions and initiate relief.
The state government, on Saturday, declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas and said it had activated Trigger-1, which is the first stage in the framework and comes into effect following a rainfall deficit of more than 25 per cent combined with a prolonged dry spell of 21 days.
Thackeray, who is on a two-day tour of drought-hit areas, said, “Trigger one, two, three. How how many triggers? What is this trigger? What drama is going on? The drought is visible. Help people in the same way you go door-to-door seeking votes during elections.”
He said people in drought-affected areas were already facing difficulties in getting drinking water and questioned whether relief would actually reach the affected population.
Questioning the timeline for implementing drought-relief measures, he asked how many more lives have to be lost before the government implements the measures.
He also claimed farmers were still receiving (repayment) notices from banks despite the government’s announcement, while farmers whose KYC formalities had been completed had not yet received the waiver amount in their accounts.
“Merely waiving electricity charges for agricultural pumps would not provide sufficient relief if there is no water in wells,” he said.
The former Maharashtra minister sought waiver of all educational fees for students in drought-affected areas.
Expressing concern over the possible impact of El Nino on the drought situation, Thackeray said worsening conditions could increase unemployment. PTI COR BNM
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