Damaging crops spread over 17,350 hectares across 107 villages, the rains that lashed Nashik on Saturday turned out to be the worst in the recent past. According to preliminary estimates of the district administration, around 37,829 farmers working 22,516 hectares have been affected from almost all tehsils this month.
Damaging crops spread over 17,350 hectares across 107 villages, the rains that lashed Nashik on Saturday turned out to be the worst in the recent past. According to preliminary estimates of the district administration, around 37,829 farmers working 22,516 hectares have been affected from almost all tehsils this month.
Crops crushed by hailstones
Data from the collectorate says Baglan tehsil has been the worst hit with about 18,000 of its farmers left helpless at the damage of crops growing on farmlands collectively measuring 10,000 hectares.
Working against the odds of water scarcity, farmers in Baglan have shifted mostly to pomegranate plantation along with the traditional crop of wheat and bajra. The fruit was ready to be harvested when the crop was hit by hailstones. About 4,250 farmers cultivating 9,250 hectares in Sinnar and 2,950 farmers with 8,450 hectares in Niphad were affected.
In Niphad, known as the green belt, farmers mostly take cash crops like grapes, onion, sugarcane, wheat, and vegetables. The production cost for crops like grapes is tremendous and with the crop all but gone the farmers have suffered a serious financial crunch. This coming when some of them had saved their crops by investing more on pesticides after the rains last time.
Thundering and lightning not only damaged crops but also took a toll on cattle. "The nature hit them during harvesting season of the rabi crops, particularly the grapes. The berries were all grown and laden, ready to be plucked, when the rains washed them off the plants, crushing them," stated Ranjit Gunjal, farmer from Vinchur.
Politicians make sympathy visits
Day after, district guardian minister Girish Mahajan, recently criticised for neglecting crushed losses in the district, made it a point to make a hurried visit to Sinnar tehsil.
It appeared that he avoided Niphad constituency, which has a Shiv Sena MLA, and instead went to Sinnar along with BJP leader Manik Kokate who joined the party during the elections. He met farmers in the villages of Wadangli, Shah and Somthane.
Mahajan told the media that the farmers' demand of a complete crop loan waiver will have to be put forth to the chief minister and the cabinet. He said the government would to help the farmers.
Transport minister Diwakar Rawate, minister of state for revenue Sanjay Rathod, and minister of state for cooperatives Dada Bhuse, among others, made sympathetic visits to the farmers.
Former guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal, now in the opposition, visited farmers in Niphad. Some youths blocked his car, demanding an immediate solution, and Bhujbal told them he was ready to lead an agitation against the government on the issue of relief to farmers.
Farmers lose patience
Having been hit repeatedly by the extremities of nature time and again, the farmers have lost patience. Frustrated by the meagre government aid for their their tremendous losses, they are now demanding a waiver of crop loans, light bills, etc. They want the district to be declared as affected by the disaster. They also held 'rasta roko' protests at places on Aurangabad highway near Naitale village in Niphad. Wearing garlands of cracked grapes and holding black flags, they blocked the railway tracks at Shivadi gate in Niphad. Cultivators from the Wasangaon region even climbed atop electric towers to show their disquiet.
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