Crops on 68.69 lakh hectares were destroyed across Maharashtra due to heavy rainfall and floods in September, which severely affected Marathwada and adjoining regions, an official has said, reported news agency PTI.
The government is preparing a proposal to be sent to the Centre seeking financial assistance for the affected farmers, the official from the relief and rehabilitation department said on Monday.
He stated that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with both Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to review the proposal.
The floods last month caused extensive losses across several districts. In Marathwada, farmlands and residential areas were submerged, while similar damage was reported from parts of Vidarbha and western Maharashtra, as per officials, reported PTI.
Districts including Beed, Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Yavatmal, Latur, Solapur, Dharashiv, Jalna, Parbhani, Buldhana, Hingoli, Nashik, and Washim have reported severe crop losses on areas ranging from three to seven lakh hectares each.
Farmers` representatives have demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare and urged the government to fulfil its earlier promise of a loan waiver.
Dharashiv MP Omraje Nimbalkar has appealed to the government to support distressed farmers and provide them compensation and debt relief.
The relief and rehabilitation department stated that e-KYC of registered farmers under the Agristack system is being expedited. Out of 1.72 crore farmer account holders in the state, 1.17 crore have already been registered, and the remaining process will be completed soon, reported PTI.
The floods have also washed away irrigation equipment such as electric pumps, leaving many farmers unable to resume cultivation.
Yellow alert issued for parts of Vidarbha; monsoon withdrawal around Oct 10
Meanwhile, the weather department has issued a yellow alert for parts of Maharashtra`s Vidarbha region, forecasting light to moderate showers accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning for the next few days, an official said on Monday, reported PTI.
The southwest monsoon is likely to begin withdrawal from the region around October 10, he said.
A yellow alert has been issued for Nagpur, Wardha, Gondia, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Yavatmal, and Amravati districts, with a prediction of light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning at isolated or several locations starting Monday, the official said, reported PTI.
Dr Praveen Kumar, scientist at the regional meteorological department in Nagpur, said that light to moderate rain spells are expected to continue across parts of Vidarbha for the next three days.
A gradual decrease in rainfall intensity and spatial distribution is likely from October 9 or 10, he said.
The normal date for the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from Vidarbha is around October 10, and the entire region usually experiences complete withdrawal by October 15 as per the climatological normal, the official said.
(With inputs from PTI)
