The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced a Rs 1,339 crore assistance package for farmers whose crops were damaged due to heavy rainfall between June and August, news agency ANI reported, quoting official sources.
The relief will be distributed through direct benefit transfers (DBT) directly into farmers’ bank accounts. This assistance is based on the panchnama surveys already conducted to assess crop damage during the June-August period. However, panchnamas for the more recent damage caused by ongoing rainfall in Marathwada are yet to be completed, officials said.
An official government order clarified that the disbursed funds must be distinct from other departmental relief funds being provided for crop damage in the current season, ANI reported. The notice also emphasised that relief should be provided at the prescribed rate and only once per season.
Once the funds are distributed, the beneficiaries` list and the corresponding order will be published on the respective district websites, ensuring transparency in the disbursement process.
Between August 18 and 21, Maharashtra experienced heavy to very heavy rainfall, especially over Konkan and the adjoining ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai, the monsoon trough extended from Naliya, Jalgaon, Brahmapuri, and Jagdalpur to a well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, stretching southeastward to the east-central Bay of Bengal up to 1.5 km above mean sea level.
Additionally, an offshore trough was present from South Konkan to North Kerala at the mean sea level, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported.
The IMD had issued multiple weather alerts and warnings, including red alerts on August 18 and 19 in several western coastal districts, yellow alerts on August 20 and 21, advisories for flooding in low-lying and urban areas, warnings of disruANIons to road, rail, air, and ferry services, fishermen were also cautioned against venturing into the sea, as squally weather with wind speeds between 45–55 kmph, gusting up to 65 kmph, was expected along the South Konkan-Goa coast and nearby sea areas during this period.
Maharashtra: Eight dead, widespread damage as torrential rains lash Marathwada region
At least eight people have died and hundreds of homes have been damaged as heavy rains battered Maharashtra’s Marathwada region over the past four days. In what is typically a drought-prone area, relentless downpours since September 20 have caused severe flooding, infrastructure damage, and large-scale crop loss, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Rescue efforts involved the deployment of boats and helicopters, with 27 people rescued by the NDRF and 200 shifted to safer locations.
The rains have claimed eight lives across the region, including three in Latur, two in Beed, and one each in Dharashiv, Nanded, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Causes of death included drowning, lightning strikes, and other rain-related accidents, according to the state revenue department.
As per the ANI, infrastructure has also taken a hit. Two schools and a road were damaged in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, while three bridges were affected in Jalna and Beed districts. Five small dams in Marathwada have sustained damage due to flooding. Catchment areas of the Jayakwadi and Majalgaon dams received intense rainfall, promANIng authorities to begin discharging excess water.
(With ANI inputs)
