MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the state was staring at drought, following poor rain in many parts this monsoon . He sought the help of the Centre to overcome water scarcity and possible drought. Fadnavis was addressing a gathering at the conclusion of the year-long Sai Baba Samadhi centenary celebrations in Shirdi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present at the event."Although we laud the Centre for increasing minimum support price (MSP) for farmers by one-and-half times for many crops, it would not be sufficient for farmers of the state at present, following erratic rain in parts of the state," Fadnavis said, adding that Maharashtra got only 77% of its annual rain this monsoon. In 201 talukas of the state, rain has been deficient, he said."The state will need the help of the Centre to tackle the problem that will arise for farmers following water scarcity," Fadnavis said. "In 2015, the state faced a similar situation. We were able to overcome a crisis then with the immense help we got from the Union government. This time too we will need the backing of the Centre," he added.Modi assured the chief minister that the Centre would go all out to help Maharashtra. "I am aware that some parts of the state have seen deficient rain this monsoon. We will ensure farmers get immediate relief through our Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Moreover, we will give our whole-hearted support to the state government in whatever measures it tak- es to tackle the problem," he said. "We have already increased the MSP of 21 rabi and kharif crops, including suga- rcane, to benefit the farmers and see their income swell."The PM said that many parts of the country were plagued with water scarcity. His government had taken up pending irrigation projects under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, and many of these are in Maharashtra, he added."I must compliment the Maharashtra government for running the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan successfully," said Modi. "This project has made 16,000 villages drought-free and 9,000 more will soon be added to the list. The people have come forward to help the government to de-silt irrigation tanks. The efforts have seen nine crore cubic metres of silt being taken out from these tanks. Had the state government engaged private agencies, it would have cost Rs 600 crore for de-silting these tanks. This work was done free of cost, at the initiative of local communities."

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