Rain Fury: 10 Dead, Crops Lost On Mass Scale As Heavy Rains Lash Maharashtra’s Marathwada

Torrential rains battered the Marathwada region in Maharashtra for three consecutive days since September 1, damaging crops on a massive scale and leaving at least 10 persons dead, they said, adding that Nanded district bore the brunt of the rain fury.

Maharashtra Rains: Ten people have died, while crops have been destroyed on over 11.6 lakh hectares of land due to heavy rains which have lashed Maharashtra’s Marathwada region over the last three days. As per officials, a primary assessment of the damages reveals that incessant rains have damaged damaged crops on nearly 11.67 lakh hectares of land in seven districts of the region.

Torrential rains battered the Marathwada region for three consecutive days since September 1, damaging crops on a massive scale and leaving at least 10 persons dead, they said, adding that Nanded district bore the brunt of the rain fury, sustaining the most damage.

Crops lost, 10 dead in rain fury

According to the primary survey report, five people have died in rain-related incidents in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, two in Hingoli, and one each in Latur, Beed, and Jalna died since September 1.

The survey report said that the incessant rains have impacted 284 revenue circles, leading to crop loss across 883 villages in seven districts with over 14.62 lakh farmers, who owned the land, affected due to the loss of crops.

Nanded district has witnessed the most severe damage, with crops over 3.34 lakh hectares affected. The rains have also led to the death of 523 animals and caused damage to 1,126 houses, the report said.

“The recent heavy rainfall damaged crops on nearly 11.67 lakh hectares of land in seven districts, with Nanded witnessing the maximum impact of nature’s fury,” officials said.

Water storage levels boosted

However, a ‘silver lining’ amid the destruction is that the heavy rains have boosted water storage levels in the Marathwada, which had run dry due to below-average rainfall in the region so far this year.

Authorities said the Jayakwadi Dam, which supplies water for industry, agriculture, and drinking purposes in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and neighbouring Jalna district, has reached 90 per cent of its storage capacity.

Overall, the average storage in eleven major projects across the Marathwada region has risen to 77.63 per cent, a report by the irrigation department revealed.

The report further stated that none of the projects in the region is now in dead storage, indicating improved water availability.

(With inputs from agencies)