India, Sept. 17 -- Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday urged the Maharashtra government to immediately declare a "wet drought" and extend financial relief of Rs.50,000 per hectare to affected farmers.

In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Wadettiwar said heavy rains in August and September devastated crops across 30 districts, impacting nearly 17.85 lakh hectares of farmland. He added that farmers, who have not received loan waivers, are left with neither standing crops nor financial stability, making urgent assistance critical.

Highlighting the severe losses in Marathwada and Vidarbha, Wadettiwar said soybean, maize, and cotton fields were destroyed, with the upcoming Rabi season also under threat...