Nashik: Unseasonal heavy rainfall lashed several parts of Nashik district on Wednesday damaging crops on over 248 hectares.The affected crops include onion, wheat, tomato, grapes, maize and various vegetables. According to the primary assessment report by the state agriculture department, 559 farmers from 13 villages across five talukas — Kalwan, Deola, Dindori, Niphad and Sinnar — were impacted by the sudden downpour.Of the total affected area, onion crops were damaged on 125 hectares, grapes on 16, vegetables on 15, wheat on 82 and maize on 10. Meanwhile, parts of Nashik district received brief spells of heavy rain again on Thursday.Owing to the prevailing weather conditions, the maximum temperature in Nashik city dropped from 37.8°C on Wednesday to 34°C on Thursday. Heavy rainfall had struck Niphad, Deola, Satana, Sinnar and Kalwan talukas on Wednesday, while some areas in Sinnar also reported hailstorm along with the showers.Meanwhile, as per preliminary assessment by state agriculture department, crops over 1,439 hectares have sustained damage due to rain in the last four days across Maharashtra.Crops like green chickpeas, wheat, jowar and fruits including mango, grapes, bananas have been damaged due to the unseasonal rain the state is witnessing in the last few days. Meanwhile, state agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne on Thursday said officials from the affected districts have been told to start the process of panchnama. “There is a forecast of some more rain in the state for the next few days which may affect the crops that are ready for harvest. The officials have been told to carry out the panchnama and submit their reports at the earliest,” the minister said.With inputs from Anurag Bende
