Hailstorm kills 4, ruins crops

Mumbai: On Sunday, four people died in hailstorm that affected three districts of Vidarbha and four districts of Marathwada damaging crops like cotton and pulses. The state government has given instructions of immediate panchanama. The Opposition has demanded monetary relief for farmers as soon as possible.

While Namdeo Shinde (70) from Vanjar village, Asaram Jagtap (60) from Jafarabad village of Jalana and Yamuna Humbad of Washim died due to the hailstorm, Vitthal (70) from Naigaon, Amravati district was struck by lightning on Sunday. Marketing minister Subhash Deshmukh has assured help to the family of every farmer who died in this calamity.

People in Buldana, Akola, Amravati in Vidarbha; Beed, Parbhani, Jalana in Marathwada and Dhule and Jalgaon in North Maharashtra woke up to hailstorm and rains on Sunday. Rabi crops of cotton, tur and other pulses, wheat, horticulture like banana were severely damaged due to the hailstorm. According to a primary report, Majalgaon of Beed and Khamgaon of Buldana are the worst affected areas of the calamity.

Agriculture minister Pandurang Phundkar has given instructions to the officers from his department to start the panchanama. He has also given instructions to all district collectors to hold a meeting with insurance companies on Monday and send the report of the damage. Secretary for agriculture department Vijay Kumar and revenue
secretary Manukumar Srivastav have also given instructions of panchanama to the their officers.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Dhananjay Munde has demanded an immediate monetary relief to the farmers. “Officers must not waste time in starting

panchanama. This is a huge damage, similar to what had happened in February 2014. Then, the state government had given money to the farmers in distress. It should be done this time too,” demanded Mr Munde. Assembly’s Opposition leader Radhaklrishna Vikhe-Patil too has demanded monetary help for farmers.