Marathwada

Marathwada reports 899 farmer suicides this year amid flood devastation

As many as 899 farmers committed suicide in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra during January to October this year, with 537 of them taking their lives in six months when floods caused massive damage to crops, official data shows. Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jaiswal said the government is seriously addressing the issue and has increased the spending on dedicated schemes and incentives to Rs 1 lakh crore. The data provided by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisional commissioner's office shows Marathwada recorded 899 farmer suicides in ten months from January to October this year, including 537 in six months (May 1 to October 31) when rains and floods wreaked havoc. Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts recorded the highest number of suicides by agriculturists. District-wise, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recorded 112 suicides, Jalna- 32, Parbhani- 45, Hingoli-33, Nanded- 90, Beed- 108, Latur- 47 and Dharashiv- 70 in these six months. The state government has ...

Aurangabad railway station officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The Aurangabad railway station in Maharashtra has been renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar station through a gazette notification issued by the state government. The move comes nearly three years after the then government headed by Eknath Shinde formally rechristened Aurangabad city as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The city, previously named after Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, received this name as a tribute to Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's son. The original name change was initiated by the erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. The BJP-led Mahayuti government on October 15 issued a gazette notification to change the name of Aurangabad railway station, an official said on Saturday. Aurangabad railway station was opened in 1900. It was made by the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan. The railway station is located on the KachegudaManmad section. This section mainly serves Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city (formerly Aurangabad). The station falls under the Nanded

Roads flooded, villages cut off as heavy rains batter Marathwada; rescue on

Incessant rains pounded several parts of Marathwada in Maharashtra on Saturday, cutting off villages and inundating low-lying roads and bridges in the traditionally drought-prone region, officials said. More than 65 mm of rainfall was recorded in several parts of Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani and Hingoli districts in 24 hours ending at 8 am. Gangakhed in Parbhani district received the highest rainfall of 143 mm in a single day, an official said. According to officials, heavy rains lashed Kalmnuri and Vasmat talukas of Hingoli district, marooning three villages. Chaundhi Bahiroba in Vasmat taluka and the villages of Bibthar and Kondhur Digras in Kalamnuri were cut off due to heavy rainfall, the official said. Latur Collector Varsha Thakur Ghuge said that overnight downpour inundated low-lying areas, roads and bridges in the district. "As a precautionary measure, we have shut water-logged bridges and roads. The Manjara River is flowing over its capacity, so there is a ..

Maharashtra allots ₹1,500 crore aid for Marathwada farmers hit by rains

The Maharashtra government has allotted Rs 1,500 crore for disbursal of aid to farmers, who suffered crop losses due to heavy rains between May and August this year in the Marathwada region of the state, a senior official said. Notably, most parts of the Marathwada region, comprising eight districts, witnessed torrential rains and flooding recently, and the work of assessing crop losses is currently underway. "The state government has disbursed Rs 1,500 crore to provide compensation to the farmers who faced crop losses from May to August in Marathwada. The process to pay the amount has begun and the money will directly go into the accounts of the affected farmers," Divisional Commissioner Jitendra Papalkar told PTI on Friday. Instructions have been given to the officials to upload the lists (of affected farmers) immediately, he said. Heavy rains and swollen rivers have caused large-scale damage in Marathwada since September 20, claiming at least nine lives. Flooding destroyed ...

Heavy rains disrupt life in Latur; schools shut, rescue teams in action

Heavy downpour has disrupted life in Maharashtra's Latur district, prompting the administration to declare a school holiday on Friday, officials said. Of the 60 revenue circles in the district in the state's Marathwada region, 29 had reported excessive rainfall till Thursday night as water levels in rivers and streams rose, triggering rescue operations, they said. About 50 roads and bridges were shut after water began to flow over the structures. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a yellow alert for August 29, District Collector and Disaster Management Authority Chairperson Varsha Thakur-Ghuge has announced a holiday for all schools from Class 1 to 12, an official said. Disaster management teams and local villagers rescued ten persons stranded in flood-hit areas of Shirur Anantpal and Ahmedpur talukas. An Army team has also arrived in Ahmedpur. In Shirur Anantpal, five persons trapped in a riverside shed and three labourers stuck during bridge construction on t

Maharashtra rains: Over 2,200 people shifted in Nanded, Latur roads damaged

More than 2200 persons have been shifted to safety amid heavy rainfall in Nanded and Latur districts of Maharashtra, officials said on Thursday. Seventeen revenue circles in Mukhed, Kandhar and Naygaon faced heavy rainfall, with the highest, 115 millimetres, being recorded in Biloli and Narsi areas in Nanded, while 29 circles in Latur recorded rainfall of above 65 mm, they informed. "In Nanded, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were sent to villages in Degloor after water entered several homes in Dharmabad, Naygaon and Kandhar this morning. Road links to Gonar, Jakepur, Rui and Kandharewadi villages have been affected due to the rains," a local official said. "As a precautionary measure, 2236 persons from 871 households in Sangvi Umar, Medankallur, Shelgaon and Tamlur villages were shifted to safety by the Nanded administration. At present, 3.63 lakh cusec (cubic foot per second) water is being released from eight projects of Nanded. These include Vishnupuri, Yeldari and ..

Marathwada varsity stops PG admissions in 113 colleges over irregularities

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has stopped admissions to postgraduate courses in 113 colleges affiliated to it in four districts after deficiencies and irregularities were found in these institutions, an official said on Friday. These colleges include those run by the educational trusts linked to several prominent leaders from the ruling as well as opposition side, including ministers and BJP leaders Chandrakant Patil, Pankaja Munde, and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and former minister Rajesh Tope, he said. The university has a total of 187 colleges affiliated to it in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed and Dharashiv districts in the Marathwada region. Of them, the university has stopped PG admissions in 113 colleges after it was found that these institutions lack basic amenities. Also irregularities were found in their administration process, he said. "The university stopped admissions to PG courses in these colleges for the first year on

520 farmers commit suicide in Marathwada region in Jan-Jun: Report

Eight districts of Maharashtra's Marathwada region registered 520 farmer suicides between January and June (up to June 26) 2025, up 20 per cent from 430 such cases reported in the same period last year, according to a state revenue department report. Beed district, where 126 farmers committed suicide in the first half of the current calendar year, topped the list in the central Maharashtra region. Eight districts of Marathwada had witnessed 430 farmer suicides between January and June 2024. During the same period in 2025 (up to June 26) 520 agriculturists killed themselves in the region, said the report. This represented a nearly 20 per cent rise in farmer suicides. During the January-June 2024 period also, Beed remained on top among districts with 101 farmer suicide cases, said the report. This year, ex-gratia payment has been given to the affected families in 264 out of 313 qualified cases, while 146 cases are under scrutiny. Also, 61 cases were found ineligible for ...

Lightning claim 28 more lives in 2024 compared to 2023 in Marathwada

The death toll due to lightning strikes in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra has gone up by 28 to 76 in 2024 compared to the previous year, officials said. As per an official report, 48 people had died in 2023 in all eight districts of Marathwada due to lightning strikes. The total number of fatalities due to flood and other monsoon-related calamities also climbed by 47 to 126 in 2024, it said. The highest number of 15 deaths in 2024 due to lightning strikes was recorded in Latur district, followed by Jalna (12), Beed (11), Parbhani and Nanded (10 each), Dharashiv (4) and Hingoli (3).

27 killed in rain-related incidents in Marathwada region in 2025 so far

As many as 27 people have died in unseasonal rain-related incidents in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra to date this year, while crops on 4,000 hectares were affected in 597 villages, as per official data. The region has received 116 per cent rainfall in May, stated a report prepared by the divisional commissioner's office on Tuesday. It said all eight districts recorded unseasonal rain until May 20, resulting in the death of 27 people due to lightning strikes, flood, and other rain-related incidents. 391 animals owned by farmers have also died during this period. Crops over 4218.54 hectares of land in 597 villages were affected by rain, with Jalna recording the highest damage over 1925.76 hectares, the reporter added.

Govt committed to making Marathwada drought-free, says CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that the state government was committed to making Marathwada drought-free and was making efforts in that direction. Talking about the measures the government plans to take to alleviate water scarcity in the region, Fadnavis said at least 53 TMC water flowing into the sea will be brought to the Godavari River Basin, and excess water from the Krishna and Koyna rivers will be diverted. The government will issue tenders for these works, he said while speaking at an event in Beed district. The Marathwada region comprises Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani, Hingoli, Dharashiv, Latur and Nanded districts. He said Marathwada's share from the Krishna River has been brought to Ashti city. Alluding to the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, the chief minister said while Beed has been in the news for the wrong reasons, the district has a long history of Warkari ideology and saints. He said despite facing ..

Did not endorse anybody so how can my factor fail, asks Jarange Patil

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday refuted talk of his stir not being a factor in the Maharashtra assembly polls, which were swept by the Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. The Mahayuti won 40 out of 46 seats in Marathwada region, including all five in Jalna, the epicentre of Jarange's stir for quota for the Maratha community in jobs and education. The ruling alliance's poor show in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year was largely credited to Jarange's opposition, especially his strident remarks against Deputy Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Devendra Fadnavis. "How can one say the Jarange factor failed in the assembly polls when I did not contest nor did I endorse anybody? I liberated the Maratha community from the clutches of these political parties. The community was free to vote as per its choice. My focus is on empowering the Marathas," he said putting up a brave front. Expressing satisfaction at the results, he pointed out that 204 Marathas were ...

Gamble or gambit? BJP-led Mahayuti cobbling up non-Maratha caste coalition

The 2024 Lok Sabha polls saw sharp polarisation of Maratha and OBC votes across Maharashtra, particularly in Marathwada, where the BJP-led alliance could win only one of the eight seats

World Bank to give Rs 2,328 cr for project to divert flood water: Fadnavis

The World Bank has approved financial assistance of Rs 2,328 crore to develop infrastructure to divert flood water from western Maharashtra to Marathwada, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday. The state government will contribute Rs 998 crore for the plan, he added. "The World Bank has approved financial assistance of Rs 2,328 crore for the project that will help in diverting flood water from western Maharashtra to Marathwada, which faces water scarcity," he said in a statement. Sangli and Kolhapur districts had witnessed flooding in September 2018, and a World Bank team that visited these areas at the time decided to provide aid for the water diversion project, Fadnavis said.

Crops on 100k hectares damaged by unseasonal rains in Maharashtra, says CM

Nearly 1 lakh hectares of land under cultivation in different parts of Maharashtra has been adversely affected due to unseasonal rains over the last few days, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said, citing preliminary assessment. Two persons have died in rain-related incidents in Nashik district in north Maharashtra, a senior official said. Affected farmers will get compensation for crop losses caused by unseasonal rains, the CM said. "Authorities have been directed to conduct 'panchnama' (survey) of the damaged crops and affected farmers should be paid adequate compensation," Shinde told reporters in his political turf of Thane on Monday. He said preliminary information suggests that nearly 1 lakh hectares of land under cultivation in Marathwada, Vidarbha and north Maharashtra regions was affected due to untimely showers. "This is the government of farmers and workers. The government will always stand behind these classes," the chief minister said. The first estimate report prepa

Marathwada requests CM Eknath Shinde for water release into Jayakwadi dam

A request letter was written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde regarding the release of water from the reservoir of the upper Godavari valley dam into the Jayakwadi dam said former Minister Rajesh Tope

Maha CM announces Rs 45,000 cr package for development of Marathwada

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday announced a package of Rs 45,000 crore for the development of Marathwada region in the state. Apart from this, he also announced revised administrative sanctions for irrigation projects worth Rs 14,000 crore. He made the announcements at a press conference here after a special meeting of the state cabinet. The state government held the cabinet meeting in the city on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Marathwada Liberation Day, also known as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, celebrated on September 17 annually. Marathwada was once a part of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad kingdom. It was after a gap of seven years that a meeting of the state cabinet was held in Marathwada. The last such meeting was organised in the region in 2016. The Marathwada region comprises eight districts - Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (previously known as Aurangabad), Dharashiv (previously known as Osmanabad), Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani.

Eight out of 11 major dams in Maharashtra reached maximum storage capacity

Marathwada has already received 840 millimetres of rain this monsoon, or 123.62 per cent of the region's annual average rainfall of 679 millimetre

Hyderabad to commemorate 75 years of liberation with year-long celebrations

The celebrations will start on September 17, 2022, and end on September 17, 2023

CARE Hospitals buy majority stake in United CIIGMA for around Rs 400 cr

The investment will allow CARE to have a presence in three Maharashtra cities. CARE's network spans 17 healthcare facilities in eight cities and six states of the country.