Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday, 4 October 2026, asked the state government to prepare a contingency plan for what he called a “drought-like” situation in parts of the state, The Hindu reported from Jaipur.
Speaking to reporters, Gehlot said drinking water, fodder and employment could become major concerns in the coming months. “Arrangements will have to be made for fodder and drinking water, both for people and animals. A contingency plan should be prepared from now itself,” he said. He asked the government to take the situation seriously and start preparations immediately.
Drought-like claims and the relief already announced
The Hindu reported that on Saturday, 3 October, Gehlot had claimed drought-like conditions in about 2,000 villages in Jodhpur, 2,460 in Barmer, 1,216 in Balotra and 961 in Jaisalmer, with other parts of Marwar and the state also affected. Those village counts are his claims, as reported by the newspaper, not a figure independently established in the article.
He said Rajasthan has faced droughts before, but tubewells, handpumps and the employment guarantee programme had reduced the impact. He claimed that changes to the employment guarantee system mean people no longer have the same assurance of work on demand, and that the state would have to open adequate relief works.
Referring to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s announcement in Barmer, Gehlot alleged that related orders had still not reached the district collector after three days. “It should not remain only on paper,” he said. The Hindu reported that on Wednesday, 1 October, Sharma announced that emergency drinking-water arrangements and tanker supply in low-rainfall areas would continue until 31 December 2026. Sharma also announced fodder depots in Barmer, Balotra, Jaisalmer and other affected areas, and allowed district collectors to sanction emergency works of up to Rs 1 crore.
Source: The Hindu
Photo: Vishnaram / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
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