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Maharashtra Declares 265 Talukas Drought-Affected
Why in News?
265 of 358 talukas declared drought-hit: the Maharashtra number every GS-III disaster answer needs
The Maharashtra government has declared 265 of its 358 talukas as drought-affected, covering roughly 74% of the state's geographical area.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
The Maharashtra government has declared 265 of its 358 talukas as drought-affected, covering roughly 74% of the state's geographical area.
The declaration follows an assessment of rainfall deficiency and crop conditions and paves the way for relief measures such as fee waivers, power bill concessions and crop loan restructuring for affected farmers.
A "taluka" is an administrative sub-division of a district, used in several Indian states including Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- Maharashtra declared 265 of 358 talukas drought-affected
- This covers roughly 74% of the state's geographical area
- Declaration follows assessment of rainfall deficiency and crop conditions
- Relief measures include fee waivers, power bill concessions, crop loan restructuring
- A taluka is a district-level administrative sub-division, used in Maharashtra, Karnataka and other states
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- Maharashtra has declared 265 of its 358 talukas as drought-affected.
- The drought-affected talukas cover about 74% of the state's geographical area.
- The declaration enables relief measures such as fee waivers and crop loan restructuring.
- A 'taluka' is an administrative sub-division of a district.
Mains
Relevant to GS-III (Disaster Management/Agriculture): a rainfall deficiency and crop-condition assessment triggering a drought declaration illustrates the administrative process behind disaster relief in India. It leads to state-level relief measures (fee waivers, power concessions, loan restructuring), raising questions about the adequacy and timeliness of drought relief mechanisms and the need for improved climate-resilient agriculture and irrigation planning going forward.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Maharashtra recently declared how many of its 358 talukas as drought-affected?
- 265
- 165
- 200
- 310
Show answer
Answer: A — Correct: 265 — Maharashtra declared 265 of its 358 talukas drought-affected, covering about 74% of its area. • 165 — wrong: understates the figure. • 200 — wrong: below the declared number. • 310 — wrong: overstates the figure.
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