Of the total 205 sugar mills in the state, 40 per cent are in the eight drought-prone districts. Of the total 205 sugar mills in the state, 40 per cent are in the eight drought-prone districts.

Water management expert Madhav Chitale has said the state government should enforce a ban on sugar cultivation in districts that receive less than 700 mm rainfall, to effectively tackle the problems of financial crisis in the sugar industry.

He said there was “no scientific justification” to allow the water-guzzling crop in places like Marathwada. “To begin with, sugar cultivation in Marathwada should be completely stopped. There is no scientific justification for allowing the water-intensive crop in the drought-hit Marathwada. Why have sugar mills multiplied in the region that is not conducive for the cane crop,” Chitale said while speaking to The Indian Express.

Of the total 205 sugar mills in the state, 40 per cent are in the eight drought-prone districts of Beed, Latur, Osmanabad, Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Jalna and Hingoli.

Chitale said the crisis in sugar industry was an outcome of the wrong policies pursued by successive state governments for several decades, which could not be justified and sustained any longer.

“Maharashtra is reeling under acute shortage of pulses and oilseeds that have to be imported in large quantity. Instead of cane cultivation, they should go for crop change and promote sowing of pulses and oilseeds, which require less water,” he said.

According to Chitale, the state is facing almost 70 per cent shortfall of pulses and oilseeds, leading to high price rise. “Any crop replaced with sugar cane will ensure better dividends to the farmers,” he asserted.

The water expert said the financial package of Rs 6,000 crore given by the state government and the Centre to the sugar sector across the country could not be a lasting solution. “Setting up sugar factories and cane cultivation in Ahmednagar and Solapur in Western Maharashtra was a wrong policy. The rainfall shortage coupled with higher percentage of water evaporation in these districts is not suitable for sugar business,” he said.

In the last 20 years, the state government had sustained the sugar industry with massive financial subsidies and loan waivers. The state government and the Centre are under pressure from experts like Chitale to go for major policy reforms in the sugar sector.

Citing an example, Chitale said, “The Sahayadri range where there is plenty of rainfall and less water evaporation should be confined for sugar cultivation. Kolhapur can be a sugar success story because of heavy rainfall and less water evaporation. In the past, it was known for producing jaggery.”

Hinting that sugar mills came into existence because of political decisions instead of scientific studies, he said, “Sugar cultivation is going to be a loss making business for farmers. It is high time the decisions driven by yield per cubic mm were taken. The water and crop yield and financial returns to the farmers should be carefully weighed before taking any decision on crops. In place of sugar, farmers can look for alternative crop like cotton, cereals and pulses.”

Speaking about Western Maharashtra, which is called the sugar belt, the water management expert said it was wrong to say that the entire region is good for cane cultivation. According to Chitale, corrective measures are required in some Western Maharashtra districts too where rainfall is less. He said there had been lapses by the policy makers as eastern parts of Vidarbha region, “which is most conducive for sugar”, were ignored. “During the British rule, a centre for sugar was set up in Bhandara district of Vidarbha. The districts of Gondia, Bhandara and Chandrapur along the Wainganga river have all the parameters to cultivate sugarcane,” Chitale said.

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