With unseasonal rains causing damage to crops in several districts of Maharashtra, the Congress today demanded a comprehensive package for the affected farmers even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he has asked for an assessment of the damages.
Mumbai and some other parts of Maharashtra yesterday experienced unseasonal rains which brought down temperatures, but posed threat to agriculture crops.
"The unforeseen rains have damaged most of the standing crops in the state. The damage is quite severe, specially in the Konkan region. Also, most of the crops at Khandesh in western Maharashtra have been damaged considerably. Most of the horticulture crops in Nashik district are also under stress," Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told PTI.
"The government needs to work out a mechanism to overcome this problem of global warming and climate change. The government should take up the weather-based crop insurance scheme seriously. This has to be looked into differently now as the parameters which have been considered in the weather based insurance scheme are not addressing the concerns of today's problem of global warming," he said.
"The Met department has predicted more rains in the coming days. The extent of the damage will be measured in totality only after the rains stop. But the government needs to work out a comprehensive package for farmers. The loans and electricity bills of farmers who had grown these crops should be completely waived. This will help the debt-ridden farmers to a certain extent," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Fadnavis conceded that the crop situation after the unseasonal rainfall is grim and said that he has sought for an assessment of the damages caused by it. He tweeted,
Theft At Official Residence Of Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh, Cash Stolen: Cops "Will Suspend All Freebies Unless...": Supreme Court's Warning To Maharashtra "Wrapped In Proud Tricolours": Gautam Adani Posts Airport Terminals' Video On Eve Of Independence Day Nurse Raped, Killed On Way Home, Body Found 9 Days Later In UP Rahul Gandhi's Seat At Red Fort Triggers Fresh Congress Attack On BJP "Don't Expect Anything From Me": Kolkata Hospital's New Principal Loses Cool 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan: Weather Agency Relationship With India Remains One Of Great Importance: Pentagon Kolkata Rape: Top Medical Body Announces Withdrawal Of Services On Aug 17 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.