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The BJP Thursday demanded the state government compensate farmers for crop loss due to the incessant rains in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
All eight Marathwada districts — Aurangabad, Beed, Latur, Parbhani, Jalna, Hingoli, Osmanabad, Nanded — were lashed by very heavy rains last week.
State BJP spokesperson Ram Kulkarni said, “The torrential rain lead to deaths of 12 persons who were swept away in flood waters. Apart from this, an estimated 800 small and big animals drowned across the region.”
“Almost 100 per cent kharif crops were hit by rains in varying degrees. Therefore, the state government should immediately give Rs 50,000 per hectare compensation to farmers for crop loss,” Kulkarni added.
The main kharif crops in the region are soyabean and cotton. Sugarcane farmers are also worried as rain has affected their plantations. Even in talukas where the cane has survived, the quantity and quality will not measure to the high standards during harvest, it is feared.
At least 2.50 lakh hectares agriculture land is still flooded.
The region witnessed 109 per cent higher rain this season.