As March draws to a close, Nashik witnesses a flurry of activity as departments focus on loan recovery and other year-end tasks. However, amidst this rush, farmers grappling with drought conditions find themselves unable to repay loans, prompting calls to halt forced recovery measures.

Several talukas in Nashik district have been declared drought-prone in November last year including Yeola, Sinnar, Malegaon, Niphad and Nandgaon, with crops wilting due to water scarcity. Onion producers, in particular, face challenges due to plummeting market prices. Despite these hardships, banks and financial institutions are pressing for loan repayments, exacerbating the plight of farmers.

In Sinnar’s Naigaon, farmers struggle to meet various financial obligations amid dwindling resources. While March typically sees the culmination of financial transactions across government and private sectors, the current drought situation has left farmers financially strained.

Despite government declarations of drought in certain areas, recovery teams continue their operations unabated, causing distress among farmers. Even in Sinnar taluka, declared drought-prone by the government, financial institutions persist in sending notices to farmers, exacerbating their economic woes.

There is a growing clamour from farmers for relief measures to alleviate their burden. With the agricultural sector reeling from drought effects, demands for financial assistance and loan moratoriums grow louder, highlighting the urgent need for support from authorities.