Post-monsoon showers damage crops in Akola district

Heavy post-monsoon showers in Maharashtra's Akola district have destroyed various crops, raising the demand for declaring wet drought in the Vidarbha region and compensation for farmers under the Centre's crop insurance scheme.

Farmers in Balapur, Patur, Barshitakali, Telhara and Akot talukas of Akola district were hit hard due to the showers recently.

As per official data, more than 1.7 lakh hectares of soyabean, 9,512 hectares of sorghum and over 1.5 lakh hectares of cotton have been damaged because of the untimely rains.

Speaking about the agrarian crisis, Union minister of state Sanjay Dhotre on Monday said he had written to his Agriculture counterpart Narendra Singh Tomar, asking him to declare a wet drought in Vidarbha and seeking compensation for farmers under the Centre's crop insurance scheme.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday asked the chief secretary to carry out an assessment of damaged crops at the earliest.

"CM @Dev_Fadnavis instructed Chief Secretary to provide immediate relief to farmers who were affected by the heavy rains in some parts of Maharashtra by completing survey at the earliest," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) tweeted.

Shiv Sena MLA from Balapur constituency, Nitin Tale, on Tuesday promised to take up the issue of crop damage in the first Assembly session and seek relief from the government.