With heavy rains over the past few days causing flood-like situation in some parts of Maharashtra, state Congress has written to CM Devendra Fadnavis and demanded to declare a `wet drought` and provide aid to the farmers, reported the PTI.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal urged the Fadnavis-led government to provide an urgent assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare to the farmers affected with the recent heavy rains.
Incessant rains over the past few days in various parts of the state, including capital Mumbai and its metropolitan region, threw life out of gear. Hundreds of people had to be shifted to safety due to flooding, which also damaged crops on a large scale.
In a letter addressed to CM Fadnavis, Sapkal said that due to the recent downpour, floodwaters have entered agricultural lands, severely damaging standing crops.
“It is estimated that more than 15 lakh acres of farmland across the state has suffered extensive damages,” he said, according to the PTI.
Around 17 districts in Marathwada, Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra regions have been worst hit due to heavy rains, while North Maharashtra and Konkan regions have also reported significant losses, he said.
Major crops, such as jowar, bajra, urad, maize, soybean, moong, cotton, tur, fruits and vegetables, have suffered extensive damages, while sugarcane cultivated on thousands of hectares of land has also been affected, he added, as per the PTI.
In some areas, farmers have even lost livestock, and Nanded district has reported loss of human lives, the Congress leader said.
“The already distressed farmers are now facing yet another natural calamity,” Sapkal said, the news agency reported.
While the government has issued orders to conduct crop damage assessments (panchnamas), he urged the state to set aside all rules, conditions, and procedures in this time of crisis and immediately extend financial assistance to farmers.
He also demanded that the families of those who lost their lives be provided with compassionate support and relief.
On Tuesday, CM Fadnavis told reporters that crops spread across 12 to 14 lakh acres of land have been damaged due to heavy rains lashing different parts of the state.
(with PTI inputs)
