IMD’s each day report acknowledged that widespread and average rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightening and gusty winds, will doubtless have an effect on Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Picture: Sainath Shirmevar. After a devastating crop loss in early March this yr, Maharashtra farmers obtained one other blow as heavy rains and hailstorms on March 16-17, 2023, flattened their ready-to-harvest crops.
1000’s of farmers have been affected by the unseasonal rains and hailstorms that led to finish harvest losses in Marathwada and the north Maharashtra areas, in accordance with farmers.
Additionally learn: Dry to deluge: Incessant rain a threat to Marathwada farmers
No less than 4 villages within the Nanded district have been affected after hailstorms destroyed wheat, greens, gram and different crops.
Bharad, Neuga and Mutkhed are different areas affected by the hailstorms, stated Sainath Shirmevar, a farmer from Dongargaon village.
“The intense climate situation, affecting hundreds, was skilled primarily in these villages. Bharad alone has a inhabitants of 8,000 whereas Dongargaon has 2,000 and Mutkhed being a taluka has over 10,000,” he informed Down To Earth.
Shirmevar stated the incident began at round 4 am and continued for a few hours, leaving an individual lifeless. Hailstorms of not less than 2.5 centimetres and powerful winds have flattened the standing crops.
Aurangabad division obtained rainfall of 96.5 millimetres throughout all eight districts, in accordance with official knowledge from the income division.
Mauli Deshmukh, a marginal farmer from Jalna, stated rains have been reported in Jalna, Hingoli, Aurangabad and Beed districts.
Deshmukh informed DTE:
I’ve suffered injury of about Rs 20,000 on my three-acre farmland. I used to be planning to pay semester charges for my son’s training by promoting the wheat harvest. However I discovered it flattened this morning, crushing my hopes for a great earnings.
Deshmukh stated he must search extra loans, above the present debt of Rs 1.20 lakh, to handle the scenario.
In addition to Marathwada, northern Maharashtra, comprising Nashik, Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Dhule, additionally obtained heavy rains in the course of the wee hours of March 16.
Additionally learn: Water, Marathwada women’s woe: Weather vagaries force farmers to sell lands
An space of over 1,500 hectares (ha) — together with 860 ha in Dhule, 565 ha in Jalgaon, 119 ha in Nashik and the remaining in Nandurbar and neighbouring areas — have suffered losses, in accordance with the official estimates from the agriculture division.
The farmers have reported losses of wheat, gram, greens, banana and grapes. These losses cascade to over 17,000 ha of harvest destroyed as a result of unseasonal rains between March 4 and March 8.
The rains, thunderstorms and hailstorms will doubtless proceed till the weekend, in accordance with the India Meteorological Division (IMD).
IMD’s each day report acknowledged that widespread and average rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds, will doubtless have an effect on Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra till March 19.
“Remoted hailstorms are doubtless over Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha area of Maharashtra,” it learn.
Comparable hailstorms are prone to happen in Telangana, whereas rains with thunderstorms are predicted in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
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