Maharashtra unseasonal rains: MPs in Thane, Palghar demand compensation

As unseasonal rains left crops and houses in parts of Palghar and Thane districts of Maharashtra affected local Lok Sabha MPs from the districts have demanded compensation to the farmers and affected citizens reported the PTIThe MPs also demanded governments intervention while seeking compensation for local farmers and citizensAccording to the PTI unseasonal rains coupled with hailstorms and strong winds lashed Kevanale Bhawaniwadi Dudhgaon Saprewadi Washind Rajewadi Jogalwadi Wada and other villages in Palghar while in Thane parts of Bhiwandi Shahapur Murbad and Kalyan talukas were affectedPalghar MP Hemant Savra visited these villages held talks with the affected farmers and assured help from the government as per the PTIWe will ensure every effort is made to get compensation for the losses faced by farmers and the common citizens I am committed to following up with the chief minister for immediate assistance he said on Tuesday the news agency reported on TuesdayBhiwandi Lok Sabha MP Suresh Mhatre who visited the affected parts on Monday demanded that crop assessment be conducted in a speedy manner and the victims be paid financial compensation He also instructed the local authorities to expedite the relief work according to the PTIIn a written representation to the Thane district collector he said that he would raise the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde the PTI reported on TuesdayFreak showers ruin harvest in grape beltMeanwhile apart from Thane and Palghar Nashik had also recently faced unseasonal showers in parts of the districtThe renowned vineyards of Nashik to the watermelon farms of Solapur unseasonal showers and hailstorms accompanied by highspeed winds have disrupted agricultural activities damaging readytoharvest crops and pushing farmers into distress over the past few daysA few villages in the Nashik district considered the grape bowl of India were hit hard The hailstorms and persistent rain on April 2 and April 3 damaged vineyards around the villages of Salse Pada and Madsangvi just 39 km from Nashik cityThe farmers has reported that nearly 2025 per cent of their grape crop has been lost with many estimating financial damages ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per farmldquoGrape clusters have cracked due to hail impact and continuous moisture has led to premature fruit drop too Compounding the issue is the fear of fungal infections threatening the roots of grapevines which could further jeopardise the next crop cycle We are still trying to figure out how much total loss farmers have incurred and will reach out to the governmentrdquo said Ravindra Nimse grape grower and former head of Maharashtra Grape Growers Associationwith PTI inputsatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params