Several reports of farmer suicides urged the government to take measures to alleviate the pain of farmers and provide sufficient aid.
Till the 20th of March, severe hailstorm in Maharashtra had affected more than 15,000 villages across the state. Several farmers in the state approached the state government to waive off all loans, electricity bills and other recoveries from the affected farmers.
Farming completely collapsed in several parts of the state and crops including wheat, rice, corn, maize, groundnuts, jowar, mustard and onion were majorly affected. Hailstorms in Maharashtra left its impact on horticultural products like orange, papaya, mango, banana and sweet melon as well. Hailstorm in Satana in Nashik district severely affected grape and pomegranate cultivations. All these Rabi crops were either at harvesting or developing stage and some got damaged due to hailstorm and others due to untimely rain.
Damage caused
Due to the confluence of winds from both sides of peninsular India, places in Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha were lashed by heavy rain and hailstorms during the first two weeks of March and a couple of times in April. Among the worst hit places were the villages of Chandori, Karanjgaon, Saikheda, Tamaswadi. Adding to the woes of people, several houses were damaged which wreaked havoc.
According to information gathered through Right to Information Act, a total area of 1,769,403 hectares was directly affected and the petitioners claimed Rs. One lakh per acre. Thus the total loss can be pegged at about Rs. 42,000 cores approximately. But the state government had appealed to the Centre to provide just about Rs. 5,000 crore for rehabilitation.
Financial Aid and Restoration
In the beginning of this month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan repudiated all allegations of not extending a helping hand to hailstorm affected farmers and disbursed financial aid to them.
The Centre on 19th March had sanctioned Rs. 844 crore for relief to affected farmers in Maharashtra after being affirmed from the Election Commission. The Centre had released Rs. 630 crore as subsidies for small and marginal farmers, while farmers involved in bigger agricultural tracts received Rs. 214 crore.
On the occasion of Maharashtra Day celebrations, held to commemorate 1st May, 1960 when Maharashtra attained statehood, the Chief Minister safeguarded the state government and told to media that it is difficult to manage financial aid in such a short time span. He also said, "even while the code of conduct was in force, we asked for help from Union agriculture minister and the Central government. I have never heard of any other state asking and receiving help in such a short period of time."
The state government has also taken preventive measures for battling a less than normal monsoon in India, specially in parts of Maharashtra and have already provided tankers to meet drought like conditions in several places.
picture courtesy- Mid-day
