While the rains have been a revelation for the past few days, farmers are once again in trouble due to unseasonal rains in Niphad and Dindori talukas on Saturday night.
The remaining 30 to 40 per cent of their crops have also been submerged, leaving the farmers in a state of panic. In addition, due to the ongoing debt recovery from banks, Baliraja or the farmer, has been completely crushed in the financial crisis.
Season support in Niphad
Overnight rains in many villages including Khedlejunge, Kolgaon, Sarole Thadi, Brahmanwade, Karanji Khurd, and Tamaswadi in Niphad taluka, caused major damage to crops. This damage includes maize, soybean, onion and summer onion seedlings as well as vineyards.
Quality at risk: Harvested maize and soybeans are likely to be affected as they get wet in the field.
Damage to onion and fodder: Young onion seedlings are submerged in mud. The onion that was affected by the earlier heavy rains in the field was spread out to dry, and it has also been completely soaked and spoiled. Also, the fodder for the animals has been soaked and spoiled, creating a serious problem of fodder for the year. Farmers have demanded immediate Panchnama.
Vegetable growers in Dindori in crisis
During the last six months of continuous rain in Dindori taluka, all crops have been ruined.
Major losses to grape growers: Heavy rains have caused major losses to grape cultivation, and 50 percent of the grape vines have not produced any bunches in the current season. Therefore, grape growers are in a dilemma as to how to repay their loans.
Tomatoes have no price: In the Nashik district, including Dindori, tomatoes are grown on a large scale during the Kharif season, but currently, since tomatoes have no price, even capital has not been recovered. Due to this, the farmers are worried about standing in the Rabi season.
Debt noose tightened; Discontent with the political system
While the crops have been ruined due to heavy rains throughout Maharashtra and the crop assessment is underway, some banks are pushing for debt recovery.
Fear of land auction: The loans of cooperative societies are overdue, and many farmers are on the verge of land auction. Meanwhile, nationalised banks have put up forfeiture boards on farmers' embankments.
Meteorological Department's warning for the next four days
A storm-like atmosphere has formed in the Arabian Sea, and the Meteorological Department has warned that fishermen should not go into the sea. Meanwhile, a low-pressure area has formed in the southeast Bay of Bengal, which is likely to turn into a cyclonic storm in the next two days.
After this cyclone forms on October 27, it is likely to move northwestwards and approach the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. According to the information given by the IMD, heavy rains may occur in some parts of Maharashtra in the next three to four days.
Rain warning (Yellow Alert) for the next 4 days
| Date | Districts with Yellow Alert |
| October 26 | Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Sangli, Satara, Pune, Nagar, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Solapur, Dharashiv, Latur, Parbhani, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon, Akola, Washim, Amravati, Yavatmal. |
| 27th October | Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Nagar, Nashik, Dhule, Nandurbar, Solapur, Dharashiv, Latur, Nanded, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Gondia, Gadchiroli. |
| 28th October | Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Satara, Beed and entire Vidarbha. Light rain is likely for all remaining districts. |
| 29th October | The whole of Vidarbha, Nanded in Marathwada, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Kolhapur in lower Konkan. |
Igatpuri Hit
Moreover, Igatpuri taluka has been receiving unseasonal rains for the last two-three days, causing major damage to crops. Especially, the paddy fields spread over 29,000 hectares in the taluka have been hit the hardest. The highest rainfall this month has been 96 millimetres in four hours.
The paddy crop, including orchards, has been destroyed, and the harvested paddy are falling due to the unseasonal rain. This has left farmers worried. As rain is expected in the next few days, farmers have started trying to complete their agricultural work early, but the sudden downpour has increased the farmers' rush.
This year, agriculture was supported by good rains during the monsoon. However, the unseasonal rains stopped in the last phase of October. Due to this, the harvesting of the ready paddy crop was delayed due to water accumulation in the fields. Now that the rains have given signs of returning, harvesting has begun.
However, due to the weight of the ears, the rice stalks are breaking and the ears are falling horizontally. The question has arisen before the farmers, how to harvest even when there is water in the fields. The rains during the monsoon were welcome for the farmers, but the rains haven’t stopped even after the month of October is passing and the crops are ready.
The rice fields that are hampered due to unseasonal rains have fallen down and submerged in the accumulated water in fields, while in some places the crops are totally destroyed, creating difficulties in harvesting.
Rice cultivation is the main crop in Igatpuri taluka, and unseasonal rains have completely destroyed rice cultivation. Apart from this, orchards have also been damaged.
MLA Hiraman Khoskar said that he will soon submit a letter to the Agriculture Minister in this regard and demand that the Agriculture Department start Panchnama. He has also appealed to the farmers to immediately inform the Talathi and the Agriculture Department about the damage.
