Rain, hail likely to have hit 70-80k hectare of farm land in Vid

Nagpur: Unseasonal rain and hailstorm in sporadic pockets are estimated to have impacted between 70,000 to 88,000 hectares of farm land in Vidarbha, according to preliminary reports.
The overall affected area comes to 1% to 1.8 % of the total agriculture area in the region. “The exact extent of damage is yet to be estimated,” said officials.
Sources said only areas which faced hailstorm are likely to be more affected as against the pockets where it rained.Though referred to as unseasonal rains, hailstorm during January-February is not new to the region.
Officials say there is also a likelihood that the figure can come down. The total land under plough according to different estimates is between 52 to 43 lakh hectares in Vidarbha.
Further estimate of damages would take time. A detailed examination will be carried out to assess the crop damage beyond 33% in the affected areas. Such farmers are entitled for government compensation, said government sources.
The affected area in Amravati division is estimated to be higher at around 60,000 hectares. Officials in the divisional commissioner’s office in Nagpur said the impacted area here may be at 10,000 to 15,000 hectares. Reconciliation of data is under way.
Farmers in Vidarbha depend on Kharif crop of which barring tur has been harvested. Officials say even as much hype takes place after such rains, the situation often improves. For example, sunny days ahead can also change the condition.
Crops grown on over 28,000 hectares of land bore the brunt of unseasonal rain and hailstorms in Nagpur, reports PTI.
Besides, nearly 70 houses were damaged in the division's Wardha district and 27 in Nagpur district. One person also died after being struck by lightning in Nagpur, they said. Gachibowli was the worse affected with over 8,550 hectares of land in 714 villages affected, the report added.
The crops affected include tur, which is ready to be harvested, apart from chana and wheat grown in the rabi season. The rabi crops are harvested from March. Officials in the agriculture department also reported of losses being estimated to horticulture crops like orange and mosambi (sweet lime).
Activists and farmers accept that unseasonal rains are more or less a regular feature each year.
Veteran farm activist Vijay Jawandhia says the development once again highlights the need to change the insurance pattern. In such cases, the damage has to be reported within 48 hours of the occurrence. Often it is not possible in the interiors and the farmers are unable to get the insurance amount.
“The overall confidence on crop insurance is also declining,” he says.