Parliament Question: Assistance for Farmers affected by Natural Calamities

O.I.H GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4039 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17TH MARCH, 2026 ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS AFFECTED BY NATURAL CALAMITIES 4039. SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH: SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण मं(cid:361)ी be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken any cognizance of the financial losses suffered by farmers in various regions of Maharashtra due to heavy rainfall/hailstorm over the past three years and the recent year; (b) if so, the details of the affected areas; (c) the total number of farmers, families & villages affected including the details thereof and the details of the extent of damage caused to life property; (d) whether any inspection of the affected areas been conducted by the Centre, if so, the details of the report submitted to the Central Government by the inspection team; (e) if not, the reasons therefor; (f) the assistance provided by the Central Government to the affected farmers and their families; and (g) the steps taken by the Government to prevent the adverse effects on farmer's lives caused by natural disasters, heavy rainfall and floods, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं िकसान क(cid:670)ाण रा(cid:475) मं(cid:361)ी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY) (a) to (c): The Government of Maharashtra has conducted survey of affected areas and the details of affected areas from 2022-23 to 2025-26, is as below: S. No. Year Area Number of Sanctioned affected farmers Relief (Lakh affected (in (in Rs. hectares) lakhs) Crore) 1. 2022-23 67.53 94.03 8637.46 2. 2023-24 52.06 69.05 6421.63 3. 2024-25 48.88 68.40 6948.77 4. 2025-26 105.88 136.28 20195.50 Total 274.35 367.76 42203.36During January 2026, due to unseasonal rain, hailstorm & cyclone total 17481 hectares area was affected, impacting 30413 farmers across 3 districts. An amount of Rs.2256.87 lakh as relief of compensation to the affected farmers during January 2026 was provided. During February 2026, due to unseasonal rain, hailstorm & cyclone a total of 46980.94 hectares area is affected as per primary report. Survey of affected area is in progress. (d) to (f): As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), the State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief measures on ground level in the wake of notified calamities including floods. The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural calamities from funds available in the form of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) in accordance with the Government of India approved items and norms. Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of ‘severe nature’, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) and a memorandum for assistance under NDRF submitted by the State/ UT Government. The financial assistance provided under SDRF and NDRF is by way of relief and not for compensation. Details of allocation and release under SDRF and NDRF from 2022-23 to 2025-26 (as on 28.02.2026) is as under: Financial Allocation under SDRF Release of Release under Year Central State Share Central Share NDRF Share under SDRF 2022-23 2706.40 902.20 2706.40 - 2023-24 2841.60 947.20 2841.60 - 2024-25 2984.00 994.40 2984.00 - 2025-26 3132.80 1044.00 3132.80 138.09 (Fire services) Total 11664.80 3887.80 11664.80 138.09In wake of floods during 2025 in Maharashtra, an IMCT was constituted by the Central Government on 16th October, 2025 for on the spot assessment of damages, without waiting for the Memorandum from the State Government. The IMCT visited the affected areas in the State during 3rd to 5th November, 2025. Based on the report of the IMCT, an additional financial assistance from NDRF is considered as per established procedure. The Central Government received a detailed memorandum from the Government of Maharashtra seeking an amount of ₹29,781.66 crore in the wake of the floods that occurred in the year 2025. Upon examination of the aforesaid memorandum, Ministry of Home Affairs requested the Government of Maharashtra to resubmit a revised memorandum in accordance with the formats/guidelines and items/norms of the SDRF/NDRF. Subsequently, further action will be taken under the prescribed procedure based on the revised memorandum. (g): Steps taken by the State Government of Maharashtra to prevent the adverse effects on farmer's lives caused by natural disasters, heavy rainfall and floods are listed below: -  Climate resilience plan and implementation: Climate Resilient Agriculture: NDKSP (Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani Prakalp) (Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture)  Technology Adoption: i) Satellite imagery, drones, and GIS for crop health, soil moisture, and damage assessment ii) Drip/sprinkler irrigation, sensor-based water management, automated scheduling iii) Mobile apps and SMS for weather advisories, pest management, sowing/harvesting guidance iv) Soil testing, health cards, balanced fertilizer management  Crop Diversification: Multi-cropping systems; integration of crops with livestock, fisheries, and poultry; agricultural processing and FPO-based market access.  Early Warning Systems: Coordinated mechanism among district administration, Agriculture Department, and disaster management authorities for timely alerts on excessive rainfall, drought, heat waves, hailstorms, and pest/disease outbreaks. . *****