Maharashtra Floods Devastate 8.3 Million Acres of Crops, Claim 86 Lives; CM Seeks Central Aid

Here's the English translation of the news excerpt: A memorandum has been submitted to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the severe rainfall in Maharashtra and the heavy losses incurred by farmers due to it. It has been demanded that adequate assistance be provided to the farmers affected by the natural disaster in Maharashtra from the NDRF.

Maharashtra is currently grappling with the brunt of rain and floods. In the past week alone, crops spread over more than 8.3 million acres have been destroyed. Marathwada is the most affected region, where the hard work of farmers in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nanded, Dharashiv, Jalna, and several other districts has been washed away. The situation in Solapur district of Western Maharashtra is also concerning.

According to officials, heavy rainfall has occurred in 654 revenue areas so far, leading to the devastation of crops such as soybean, cotton, onion, jowar, and turmeric. The conditions in Nanded, Beed, Dharashiv, Yavatmal, Buldhana, and Hingoli districts are extremely severe. Agriculture Minister Dattaatreya Bharne has clearly stated that the assessment of damage must be conducted with complete honesty, and if even a small portion of a farmer's land is overlooked, the concerned official will be held accountable. He added that farmers are in deep distress, and the administration must ensure that no one is deprived of assistance.

Havoc of Rain in Marathwada

In Marathwada, 86 people have died in various rain-related incidents between June 1 and September 23. Of these, the highest number of 26 deaths were recorded in Nanded. Furthermore, over 1,700 animals have also perished so far. In Nanded district alone, 569 animals lost their lives. Marathwada, located in the central part of the state, includes the districts of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Beed, and Dharashiv.

Help Sought from the Centre

To aid the farmers, the state government has so far released a relief amount of ₹2,230 crore. However, the situation is so dire that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, seeking additional assistance from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF). Both Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, have also signed this memorandum.

The memorandum states that crops and agricultural land have been devastated by continuous rainfall in 31 districts so far. In total, standing crops on 5 million hectares of land have been destroyed. While ₹2,215 crore has already been disbursed from the State Disaster Relief Fund, further financial assistance is crucial to tackle the current situation.