The unseasonal rain and hailstorm in Maharashtra have impacted around one lakh hectare of farm land in 18 districts — with highest damage in Vidarbha’s Buldhana and to late Kharif and onion crops of Nashik district, according to the primary report of the state’s Agriculture department.

A total of six human deaths have till now been reported with two injuries.

As per the data submitted from the Agriculture commissionerate, around 33,951 hectare of farm land in 13 tehsils of Buldhana district with vegetable production is harmed. It is followed by around 32,833 hectare land in 13 tehsils in Nashik district affected due to the rain and hailstorm.

The report has stated that it has caused damage to crops of onion, grapes, soyabean, corn, wheat, sugarcane etc.

Nashik is followed by Ahmednagar where around 15,307 hectare land from Sangamner, Akole, Kopargaon, Parner and Rahata tehsils was damaged which mostly had fruit crops such as banana, papaya and corn.

As Among other 13 districts which too have suffered crop loss are Thane (53 ha), Palghar (41 ha), Dhule (46 ha), Nandurbar (2,239 ha), Jalgaon (552 ha), Pune (3,500 ha), Satara (15 ha), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (4,200 ha), Jalna (5,279 ha), Beed (215 ha), Hingoli (100 ha), Parbhani (1,000 ha) and Nanded (50 ha).

Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde said that the process of collecting actual information about the losses incurred due to rain and hailstorm is currently under process. “The Agriculture, relief and rehabilitation and revenue departments are working tirelessly to collect the data. The government will ensure that every farmer who has suffered loss will compensated,” he said.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar asked how long the government will be busy in doing panchnamas.

“The government must immediately announce aid of Rs 25,000 per hectare. The state government is presently saying that it will extend the aid to farmers after receiving from center. This should not happen. Immediate aid should be announced,” said Wadettiwar.

Source - https://indianexpress.com