The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on drought, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, is likely to meet on Wednesday to decide on further relief measures to mitigate the adverse impact of deficient monsoon rains. The meeting has been called after Mr Pawar, along with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, visited four states –
Karnataka, Maharasthra, Gujarat and Rajasthan which are severely facing drought-like situation, affecting kharif crops, fodder and drinking water supply.

Mr Pawar is currently touring interior parts of Maharashtra, especially Sholapur, Satara and Pune, to assess the impact of deficit rainfall.

This will be the second meeting of the EGoM. In the first meeting held on 31st of last month , the EGoM had announced some measures, including a relief package of about 2,000 crore rupees to states facing drought-like situation and 50 per cent diesel subsidy to farmers to save standing kharif crops.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated that there could be possibility of drought-like situation this year as monsoon rains are expected to be less than 90 per cent. Rains have been deficient by 20 per cent so far. The total area sown under kharif crop till Friday was down by 10 per cent at 74.88 million hectare, as against 82.76 million hectare in the year-ago period.