Nanded: Unseasonal rain accompanied by strong gusty winds lashed several parts of Nanded district late Sunday night and continued into Monday, causing widespread damage to standing Rabi crops, particularly in Kinwat taluka. The sudden weather change has dealt a severe blow to farmers, many of whom were preparing to harvest their crops in the coming days.
According to local farmers, strong winds began late on Sunday night, followed by spells of heavy rainfall. The intensity of the weather flattened crops across large tracts of farmland, leaving cultivators worried about major financial losses. The northern belt of Kinwat taluka has been the worst affected, with extensive damage reported from villages including Ambadi, Ambadi Tanda, Ghoti, Kamthala, Malkapur, Kherda, Moregaon, Lakkadkot, Loni, Ganeshpur, Ambadi Ghat, Pimpalgaon, Jawarla, Madvi and Kanak.
Crops such as wheat, maize, jowar and gram were knocked to the ground in several fields due to the strong winds and rain. Farmers said that crops which had reached the final stage of maturity suffered the most, as flattened plants are difficult to salvage and may result in poor yields or complete loss.
Many cultivators expressed concern that the unseasonal rainfall could also affect grain quality, further impacting market prices. Farmers have urged the administration to conduct surveys at the earliest and provide compensation for the losses incurred.
Officials from the taluka disaster management department stated that teams would soon visit the affected villages to carry out panchnamas. The exact extent of crop damage and the area affected will be assessed only after these inspections are completed, they said.
