Journalism of Courage
‘Farmers or data centres?’: Congress’s question for Fadnavis amid drought
The Devendra Fadnavis government declared nearly 75% of talukas in Maharashtra drought-affected after deficient rainfall and prolonged dry spells across several regions.
Maharashtra declared drought in 265 of 358 talukas, covering 74% of the state. Opposition parties questioned the delay in direct financial aid for farmers.
As Maharashtra declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, the Congress questioned the state government’s plans to expand its data centre industry, raising concerns over how water resources will be allocated between agriculture, households, and industry.
The Maharashtra government on Saturday declared the talukas drought-affected after deficient rainfall and prolonged dry spells across several regions.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera questioned the BJP-led government’s water priorities in a post on X, pointing to the contrast between the drought declaration and the state’s plans for large-scale data centre expansion.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has officially declared drought in 265 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas – nearly 75% of the state. And this is happening as Maharashtra aggressively expands its data-centre industry. The state has attracted over $300 billion in investment interest for data centres and is targeting 5.7 GW of data-centre capacity by 2032,” Khera said.
He further added, “Data centres require two critical resources: power and water. The amount of water they consume depends on the cooling technology used, but water requirement is an important consideration, particularly in water-stressed regions like Maharashtra. The government is reportedly planning a system where municipal corporations treat sewage, MIDC further purifies it, and the reclaimed water is then sold to data centres and other industries.”
Against this backdrop, Khera has questioned how the Maharashtra government will ensure that the expansion of data centres does not put additional pressure on water resources.
“In a state like Maharashtra – which has one of India’s highest farmer-suicide rates – who has the first right over water: farmers or data centres? And if the state is prepared to set up a network to treat sewage and reclaim water for industry, why has no such urgency been shown in providing reliable reclaimed water for farmers – which could help reduce the distress driving farmer suicides?” Khera stated.
38% rainfall deficit in Marathwada
Story continues below this ad
The drought declaration followed a monsoon season marked by regional variation. Maharashtra recorded an overall rainfall deficit of about 18 per cent, but the shortfall was considerably higher in some drought-prone regions. Marathwada received 38 per cent less rainfall than normal, while Vidarbha recorded a 27 per cent deficit, according to IMD.
The impact is already being felt in crop production. Traders estimate that soyabean yields this year could be only 40-50 per cent of normal in Marathwada and 60-70 per cent in Vidarbha.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Advertisement
Live Blog
Advertisement