With reference to the Maharashtra government's initiative for fodder security, consider the following statements: 1. The initiative targets the cultivation of long-duration crops in reservoir lands. 2. The initiative covers 500 drought-declared talukas across the state. 3. The Soil and Water Conservation Department is responsible for issuing technical guidelines for land allotment. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Maharashtra to lease reservoir land in 304 drought-declared talukas for fodder crops

GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Cropping patterns & irrigation· Prelims· 7 November 2026

Resource optimization and climate resilience: a GS3 case study on drought mitigation and fodder security.

Why in news

The Maharashtra government decided to lease exposed cultivable land in reservoirs and tanks across 304 drought-declared talukas to farmers and livestock owners for growing short-duration fodder crops.

Background

The Maharashtra government is leasing exposed cultivable land in reservoirs and tanks in 304 drought-declared talukas. The Soil and Water Conservation Department issued technical guidelines on November 5 to manage the land allotment.

Facts for Prelims

Fact304 drought-declared talukas in Maharashtra are identified for reservoir land leasing
BodySoil and Water Conservation Department is the body issuing technical guidelines for land allotment
FactThe initiative targets short-duration fodder crops due to rainfall deficiency in the 2026 kharif season

Prelims practice question

With reference to the Maharashtra government's initiative for fodder security, consider the following statements:

The initiative targets the cultivation of long-duration crops in reservoir lands.
The initiative covers 500 drought-declared talukas across the state.
The Soil and Water Conservation Department is responsible for issuing technical guidelines for land allotment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)1 only
(b)3 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: (b) 3 only — Statement 3 is correct. Statement 1 is incorrect: The initiative targets short-duration fodder crops. Statement 2 is incorrect: The initiative covers 304 drought-declared talukas.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the role of state-led land management and reservoir utilization in ensuring fodder security during periods of acute rainfall deficiency.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Resource optimization: Balancing reservoir water conservation with agricultural land use for livestock feed
Climate resilience: Mitigating kharif season rainfall shocks through short-duration crop diversification
Institutional framework: Role of technical guidelines in preventing land degradation during reservoir leasing

Keywords: fodder security · resource optimization · climate resilience · land management · drought mitigation

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