CM Eknath Shinde inspects crop damage in Nashik villages

MUMBAI: Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday inspected crops affected by unseasonal rain, heavy winds and hail in Bijote, Akhatwade and Nitane villages of Baglan taluka in Nashik district.
He interacted with the farmers and collected information about the damage. Shinde issued instructions to officials to immediately carry out panchanamas of the damage and submit these to the government.
The chief minister said the government was with the farmers and a decision would be taken in the cabinet soon on the assistance.
Shinde expressed grief over the incident of a tree falling on the auditorium of Babuji Maharaj Sansthan at Paras in Akola district, where seven devotees were killed and 23 injured. He announced aid of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased. He directed that all the injured be treated at government expense.
Villages like Mosam, Karanjad, Bhuyan, Nitane, Akhatwade, Bijote, Gorane, Anandpur, Dayane, Utane, Satana, Shemli, Ajmir Saundane, Chaugaon, Karhe, Brahmangaon, Lakhmapur, Arai, Dhandri and others in Baglan taluka were hit by unseasonal raid, winds and hail on Saturday. Officials said onion, wheat, gram, mango and vegetable crops were extensively damaged.
Nashik guardian minister Dadaji Bhuse was with the chief minister on the inspection visit. They inspected the damage caused to pomegranate, papaya and other fruit crops.
Shinde said the farmers should responsibly record the damage in their farms with the help of the local talathi, gram sevak and agricultural assistants.
The unseasonal rain in Nashik in March was the highest rain that the district has reported for the month in eight years. Nashik district received two heavy spells of unseasonal rain, the first from March 4 to 8 and the second spell from March 15 to 19.
In the first spell, Nashik district registered damage to crops across 1,746 hectares of land. A total of 3,946 farmers from 323 villages were affected. In the second spell, crops across 7,424 hectare - unirrigated, irrigated and perennial - were damaged. A total of 560 villages and 18,990 farmers were affected by the unseasonal rain.