The BJP on Saturday said heavy rains in Marathwada had damaged crops and demanded that the Maharashtra government declare a "wet famine" and give relief to people as quickly as possible.
Against normal average rainfall of 679.5 millimetres, the Marathwada region has so far received 801.4 mm this monsoon, with the highest, of 141.95 per cent of normal, being recorded in Jalna, followed by 134.15 per cent in Beed, officials said.
BJP MLA Meghna Bordikar said heavy rains had caused lot of damage in Parbhani, leaving farmers distressed, adding that assessment surveys undertaken in August had not yielded any compensation as yet.
Babanrao Lonikar, BJP MLA from Partur in Jalna and former state minister, said he had written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to declare the situation as a "wet famine" as many farmers had sown seeds two times, only to see the crops damaged by rains.
Lonikar said farmers should be given compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare, adding that the CM must ensure crop insurance companies accept the damage assessment surveys being carried out by government agencies.
