As paddy losses mount, Mulshi & Maval farmers seek drought relief, question assessment process

Pune: Farmers in Mulshi and Maval talukas have demanded a reassessment of drought-hit areas, alleging that paddy crops have suffered extensive damage due to prolonged dry spells and inadequate rainfall, while several affected villages remain excluded from the state’s drought-relief list.In Mulshi, cultivators have objected to the taluka’s exclusion from the second list of drought-affected areas, saying the decision did not reflect ground realities. In Maval, some farmers staged symbolic protests by burning paddy in their fields over the past two days.The farmers said rainfall was adequate only in July and that subsequent dry conditions severely affected paddy cultivation, leaving crops wilted and raising concerns over recovery of investments made in seeds, fertilisers and labour. “Even though the drought situation is evident, the taluka has not been declared drought-affected. Govt has treated farmers here unfairly,” Shivaji Sathe, a farmer from Satosai village in Mulshi, said.They argued that exclusion from the relief list deprived them of govt assistance and other drought-related concessions. The distressed farmers have sought transparency in the criteria used to identify affected villages and urged officials to conduct village-level assessments.Akshay Gule, a farmer from Mulshi, said officials should visit farms to assess the situation firsthand. “We received good rainfall only in July. Since then, conditions have worsened and our paddy has wilted,” he said.The farmers warned that crop losses would have long-term financial consequences, affecting their ability to fund the next sowing season. “Having already spent money on cultivation, we face reduced earnings and difficulty arranging funds for the next crop cycle,” Vijay Dhamale from Mulshi tehsilsaid.Activist Sanjay Shinde from Mulshi said the impact could extend to the local economy, with many growers likely to suffer production losses exceeding 50%, reducing paddy arrivals in the market. “The current situation has disturbed the local economy badly,” he said.District agriculture officer Vaibhav Tambe acknowledged that paddy cultivation, spread across more than 60,000 hectares in Pune district, was a key component of the rural economy in talukas including Bhor, Velha, Mulshi, Maval, Khed, Ambegaon and Junnar. “Paddy plantations in some villages have been badly affected in recent weeks, prompting demands for their inclusion in drought-affected areas,” he told TOI.