Lok Sabha Question No. 35 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Damage to Crops due to Heavy Rain
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Omprakash Bhupalsinh Alias Pavan Rajenimbalkar, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*35

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2 ND  DECEMBER, 2025/ AGRAHAYANA 11, 1947 (SAKA)

DAMAGE TO CROPS DUE TO HEAVY RAIN

†*35.    SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN RAJENIMBALKAR: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  loss  of  life  and property  caused  due  to  heavy  rains  and  floods  in  various  districts  of Maharashtra in the recent past;

- (b)  if  so,  the  details  of  the  damage  caused  to  the  crops,  livestock, agricultural infrastructure and families of farmers due to the recent heavy rains  and  floods  in  various  districts  of  Maharashtra  particularly  in Dharashiv Parliamentary Constituency;
- (c)  whether  the  Central  Government  has  received  any  report  from  the Government of Maharashtra in this regard, if so, the details of financial assistance approved by the Central Government so far based on the said report;

(d) whether the Government has sent any Central Team to the State to assess the impact of the calamity, if not, the reasons therefor;

(e) the amount sanctioned from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) or  State  Disaster  Relief  Fund  (SDRF)  for  relief  and  rehabilitation  of affected farmers in Maharashtra so far;

(f) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  special  financial assistance or compensation other then NDRF or additional compensation to  the  affected  farmers  under  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana (Crop Insurance Scheme); and

- (g)  whether the  Government proposes to adopt any long-term policy to protect farmers from such natural calamities in the future?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) to (g) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement in reply to the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 35 dated 2 nd December, 2025.

(a) and (b):     This Ministry does not centrally maintain the data regarding loss of life and property caused due to any calamity. However, as reported by  the  State  Government  of  Maharashtra,  224  human  lives  and  599 livestock are lost and 3598 houses and 75.42 lac hectare cropped area damaged as on 26.11.2025 due to floods/heavy rains during 2025.

(c) to (e): As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), the primary responsibility for disaster management, including disbursal of relief  assistance  on  ground  level,  rests  with  the  State  Governments concerned. The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of  natural  calamities,  from  the  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF) already placed at their disposal, in accordance with Government of India approved  items  and  norms. The  Central  Government  supplements  the efforts  of  the  State  Governments  and  provides  requisite  logistics  and financial  support.   Additional  financial  assistance  is  provided  from  the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of 'severe nature', which includes an assessment based on  the  visit  of  an  Inter-Ministerial  Central  Team  (IMCT).    Financial assistance  provided  from  SDRF/NDRF  is  by  way  of  relief  and  not  for compensation of loss suffered/claimed.

The State Government of Maharashtra has been allocated an amount of ₹ 4176.80  crore  (₹  3132.80  crore  Central  share  +  ₹  1044.00  crore  State share) for the financial year 2025-2026 under SDRF, of which the first and second  Installments  of  ₹1566.40  each,  as  Central  share  have  been released to the State. Further, an amount of ₹ 1613.52 crore has been stated to be available as opening balance on 1st April, 2025 by the State Government in its SDRF account.

In wake of flood during 2025, an IMCT was constituted on 16.10.2025 for visiting  the  affected  areas  of  the  State  for  on-the  -spot  assessment  of damages.  The  IMCT  visited  the  affected  areas  from  03.11.2025  to 05.11.2025. This ministry has not received any formal memorandum from the State Government of Maharashtra. Based on the report of IMCT and memorandum from State Government, an additional financial assistance from NDRF is considered, as per the established procedure.

(f) and (g):    Government  of  India  has  introduced  yield  based  Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and weather index based Restructured Weather  Based  Crop  Insurance  Scheme  (RWBCIS)  from  Kharif  2016  to provide financial support to farmers suffering crop loss/damage arising out of  natural  calamities,  adverse  weather  incidence  and  to  stabilize  the income of farmers etc.  The comprehensive risk insurance is provided from

pre-sowing to post-harvest losses only to the ensured farmers under the scheme.

Under  these  schemes,  actuarial/bidded  premium  is  charged  by  the insurance companies but farmer has to pay lower premium of maximum 2% of sum insured for Kharif season and 1.5% of sum insured for Rabi season for food and oilseed crops and 5%  of sum  insured for commercial/horticultural crops. The remaining of actuarial/bidded premium is shared equally by the Central and State Governments except North Eastern States, where it is shared in the ratio of 90 : 10 between Centre and State and provided to the insurance companies directly by the Government  through  fund  routing  agency  i.e.  Agriculture  Insurance Company of India Ltd.

Further,  crop  insurance  is  a  financial  tool  to  insure  their  crop  losses against the natural calamity/adverse season including floods on payment of  admissible  premium  by  farmers  to  the  insurance  company.    Hence, under the crop insurance schemes claims are paid to only those farmers who insured their crops and paid premium under any of the notified crop insurance scheme in the notified area/crop by the State Govt.

Admissible claims/losses are worked out and paid as per the provisions of the respective schemes.   Further,  immediate  relief  is  also  provided  to

insured farmers in case of adverse seasonal conditions during the crop season due to which expected yield during the season is likely to be less than 50% of the Threshold Yield in the concerned insurance unit.

However, losses due to localized risks of hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloud  burst  &  natural  fire  and  post-harvest  losses  due  to  cyclone, cyclonic/unseasonal rains and hailstorm for a specified period of 15 days after harvest are calculated on individual insured farm basis on inspection by a Committee  constituted by the concerned  State  Government comprising State officials and officials from insurance companies and loss assessors.  Also, there is a provision to pay claims towards prevented sowing/failed  germination  and  adhoc  claims  in  case  of  mid-season adversity.

RWBCIS  is generally applicable to commercial horticultural crops provides  insurance  protection/  compensation  to  the  farmers  against adverse weather incidence, such as deficit or excess rainfall, high or low temperature (including heat wave, cold wave, frost), humidity etc. which are deemed to adversely impact the crop.   Additional insurance coverage for hailstorm and cloud burst for horticultural crops has been provided as add-on/Index plus under WBCIS.

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