The much-anticipated Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2026 ceremony, one of the most talked-about events in Maharashtra, was held on Tuesday at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai. The grand event was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, veteran actor Aamir Khan, actor Vicky Kaushal, and several prominent personalities from across the state. During the event, Aamir Khan conducted a special interview with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, where several important issues were discussed in detail. At one point, Aamir Khan asked the Chief Minister about the biggest challenges currently facing Maharashtra.
Responding to the question, Fadnavis said that climate change and agriculture are among the most pressing challenges before the state today. “Today, the biggest challenge before Maharashtra is climate change. Its direct impact is being felt on our agriculture. Nearly 45 percent of the state’s population depends on farming, and they are the ones most affected by climate change,” Fadnavis said. He pointed out that although crop production was good last year, unseasonal rains caused major losses, which brought the agricultural growth rate down to around four percent.
“All current weather forecasts indicate the possible impact of El Niño this year. Therefore, we must now move towards climate-resilient and climate-ready agriculture,” he said. Fadnavis also highlighted the benefits of water conservation initiatives undertaken in the state in recent years. “Because of the work we have done in water conservation, even if rainfall is around 85 percent today, we can still protect agriculture. Earlier, even when rainfall reached 95 percent, many regions would still face drought-like situations. That scenario has now changed,” he said. He further stressed the need to develop crop seeds that can withstand irregular rainfall patterns.
“We must develop seeds that can survive even if the monsoon arrives late. If there is a gap of 25 days between two spells of rain, the crops should still be able to sustain themselves. We are making efforts in this direction,” the Chief Minister said. He concluded by reiterating that climate change and agriculture remain the biggest challenges for the future development of Maharashtra.