India, Sept. 25 -- With more than 21 districts facing acute water scarcity due to deficient rainfall, the state government is expected to announce a drought-like situation in half of the 364 tehsils. An order to this effect is expected on Friday, along with relief measures for affected farmers, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday while touring villages in Washim, Vidarbha. He added that the state government will not wait for assistance from the Centre and offer immediate relief to farmers in the affected areas.

Fadnavis has been touring the parched lands of Marathwada and Vidarbha over the last few days. He noted that most of the affected areas have now hit the first trigger of the drought code, with several parts of the st...