Maharashtra Congress on Tuesday urged the state government to declare a “wet drought” in response to the recent spell of heavy rains that has severely impacted farmers across the state and demanded compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare for affected cultivators, reported the PTI.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal criticised the state government for delaying relief efforts, appealing for immediate financial assistance without waiting for lengthy surveys or assessments.
“For the past four days, relentless rains have wreaked havoc in the Marathwada region, leaving eight dead and hundreds of houses damaged. Crops in numerous villages remain submerged. Farmers are in deep distress, and yet the government offers only empty promises,” Sapkal told reporters, according to the PTI.
He said that 30 out of Maharashtra’s 36 districts and 300 of the 358 talukas have been affected by excessive rainfall and flooding.
According to Sapkal, nearly 14.3 million hectares of farmland have suffered serious damage.
“The continuous rainfall has left farmers devastated, while the Mahayuti government remains indifferent. Even the guardian ministers have failed to inspect the affected areas. Cabinet meetings are full of hollow talk with no real action,” he alleged, as per the PTI.
Sapkal demanded that the state provide Rs 50,000 per hectare for damaged crops and Rs 5 lakh per hectare for farmland that has been entirely washed away.
He further highlighted the grim situation in Marathwada, where floods have damaged land, crops, and livestock, and household belongings have been swept away.
“What happened to the loan waivers promised during election campaigns?” he asked, claiming that previous Congress-led governments provided immediate aid during natural disasters like hailstorms, crop disease outbreaks, or cyclones, the news agency reported.
Reacting to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s assurance that damage assessments (‘panchanamas’) would be conducted on a war footing, Sapkal said, “Why conduct surveys first? Provide relief now, and complete the paperwork later.”
Talking to reporters, Shinde acknowledged the losses suffered by farmers and death of people besides cattle due to heavy rains in the central Maharashtra region, which comprises eight districts, and assured compensation to the affected families.
He termed the flood situation in Marathwada as serious and noted there have been cloudburst-like instances in some parts of Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra.
(with PTI inputs)
