Mumbai, Sept. 19 -- NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday demanded that the Maharashtra government declare a drought in the state to tackle the impact of deficient rainfall due to the prevalence of the El Nino effect. In a three-page letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the former union agriculture minister sought at least Rs.50,000 per hectare for farmers and Rs.25,000 for every farm-labour family, besides an immediate farm loan waiver and fresh crop loans The government should not wait for formal drought assessment criteria when several parts of the state are already facing severe conditions, he said, referring to the official survey to assess crop damage as per National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) guidelines, scheduled to begin on October 5. Pawar said inadequate rainfall had damaged standing soybean, cotton, bajra, maize, tur, moong and urad crops in 31 of the 36 districts across the state, while pest and disease attacks had also increased. The situation could further aggravate problems related to drinking water and fodder, he warned. "Drought should be declared immediately without waiting for formal criteria," Pawar said in his letter, demanding that talukas facing severe conditions be declared drought-affected and all applicable drought concessions be implemented such talukas. He also sought direct financial assistance to cushion the impact of the drought on the rural economy. "Farmers should be provided assistance of at least Rs.50,000 per hectare, while each farm labour family should be given special assistance of Rs.25,000," he demanded. Pawar pressed the government to address the growing debt burden on farmers, seeking both a loan waiver and access to fresh institutional credit. "The loan waiver scheme should be implemented immediately and crop loans should be made available without delay," he stressed. He also sought an increase in the incentive for farmers who regularly repay their loans ranging Rs.50,000-100,000, besides including farmers who availed crop loans in 2025-26 and had become defaulters this year in the proposed loan-waiver scheme. On crop insurance, Pawar demanded retrospective implementation of the Rs.1 premium scheme and restoration of farmer-friendly triggers that had earlier been excluded. He also sought immediate disbursal of the Rs.17,000 per hectare assistance announced for crop losses caused by unseasonal rains last year. "Special schemes should be implemented through the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS) in drought-like areas, including agriculture and water-conservation works," Pawar said, adding that tanker arrangements should also be made to protect orchards. He demanded immediate surveys of villages facing drinking-water shortages and deployment of government tankers wherever necessary. Fodder camps should be opened based on demand, while drinking water and veterinary services should be ensured for livestock, he said. Rainfall deficit coincided with a contraction in the area under sowing in some regions, according to data cited by Pawar....