Latur Faces Unprecedented Drought, 80% Crops Damaged

BBC Hindi · environment

Latur district in Maharashtra is experiencing an unprecedented drought, with farmers reporting crop damage exceeding 80%. Damodar Chavan, a 75-year-old farmer, stated that the current drought is the worst he has ever witnessed, surpassing even the severe drought of 1972. Rainfall has been scarce, with only 362 millimeters recorded between and, significantly less than the expected 764 millimeters. This deficit has led to crop failures, with soybean yields drastically reduced and irrigation projects drying up, impacting thousands of farmers.