Unseasonal rain, hailstorm affect normal life; farmers worst hit
| Date :03-Jan-2020 |
Shop-keepers downed shutters as roads near Kalyaneshwar Mandir in Mahal were submerged. Water-logging was also witnessed in
other areas following unseasonal rains and hailstorm on Thursday.
Staff Reporter :
Water-logging on roads creates chaos, doubles trouble for dwellers in low-lying areas
After a drenched New Year’s eve, Vidarbha continued to get rains even on Thursday and it only got worse with even hailstorm being reported at several places. In Nagpur and many other parts of the region, people woke up to a soppy morning on Thursday and the weather remained dull and damp for the rest of the day, not to mention the biting winter chill. The unwanted rains and hailstorm have only multiplied the problems of farmers as apart from crop damage due to the deluge, now they also face the threat of pest attack. Vidarbha experienced heavy rains along with hailstorm as predicted by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The rains started early in the morning and lasted till late afternoon.
The minimum temperature in Nagpur was recorded at 12.3 degree Celsius while the maximum temperature was 18.4 degree Celsius, which was the lowest in entire Vidarbha. Despite of good increase in minimum temperature, the chill remained due to the North-easterly winds. Heavy rains restricted the traffic movement at all major roads and junctions due to water-logging. Padole Square, Rani Jhansi Square, Shankar Nagar Square, Narendra Nagar Railway Over Bridge (ROB), Narendra Nagar Square, Rambag Road, Trimurty Nagar Square, Munje Square, Panchasheel Square, Cotton Market Square, Santara Market, Indora Square, Automotive Square and other junctions witnessed water-logging due to rain causing chaos on roads as movement of traffic was badly affected for hours.
Hailstorm damaged crops all over Vidarbha. Whereas the hailstorm also experienced in Nagpur city with heavy rain. Till evening, social media was flooded with photos of hails. Many citizens shared photos of water logging on city roads and low-lying areas. Many areas also experienced power breakdown due to rain. Till evening employees of MSEDCL started the restoration work at many places. Citizens who are dwelling near low-lying areas in the city got troubled with water-logging in their houses. Fire and Emergency Services Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) also got some calls for uprooting of trees after the heavy rain. During last 24 hours, Nagpur recorded more than 34 mm of rains, Amravati 9 mm, Wardha 3 mm, and Yavatmal 1 mm. Mohpa, Dhapewada worst affected by hailstorm Heavy rains accompanied with hailstorm in Nagpur district on Thursday destroyed crops whereas Mohpa and Dhapewada areas of Kalmeshwar taluka faced the most.
According to primary assessment, crops on 11,110 ha land in Kalmeshwar taluka affected due to rain and hailstorm on Thursday. According to the administration, more than 33 per cent crop loss recorded in the taluka. Cotton (6,834 ha), Tur (1,382 ha), Wheat (363 ha), Chana (221 ha), vegetables (286 ha), orange (1,816 ha) and Sweet Lime (158 ha) were the major crops that affected most. Budhala, Pimpla, Khumari, Mohgaon Savangi, Sonpur, Adasa, Ramgiri, Mandvi, Devbardi, Telangaon, Nandikheda, Kanyadhol, Savandri, Borgaon Dhoorkheda, Bhadangi, Khangaon, Sillori and many other villages of Kalmeshwar taluka faced this crops damage. Mayor visits COC to access situation, water-logging Mayor Sandip Joshi on Thursday, visited the City Operation Centre (COC) at Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to access the situation and water-logging after heavy rains and hailstorm that lashed the region on Thursday.
Mayor interacted with officials of COC and collected details of various places of the city through CCTV cameras installed at every squares across city. Joshi checked situation of all zones and also instructed officials to remove water and obstacles that created due to rain. Rajesh Dupare of Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Co. Ltd. also was present. BJP delegation to meet Collector today Former Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule will lead a delegation of BJP leaders to meet District Collector Ravindra Thakre to discuss the situation of crops in Nagpur district after unseasonal rains and hailstorm. The delegation will meet the District Collector on Friday at 9 am at Collector Office.
The delegation will raise demand for quick compensation to farmers who incurred loss due to hailstorm in last couple of days. Affected-farmers will get compensation soon: Kedar Newly-elected Cabinet Minister Sunil Kedar assured that farmers who got affected due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm on Thursday will get compensation soon after the panchanama. “Nagpur district is receiving frequent unseasonal rains since Diwali. Even in the New Year rains and hailstorm lashed the district. Government of Maharashtra is determined to provide relief to the affected-farmers.
They will get compensation soon,” said Kedar at a programme in Ramtek on Thursday. ‘Act swiftly, provide aid to affected-farmers’ Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has raised the demand of immediate compensation to Vidarbha farmers who were affected due to heavy unseasonal rains and hailstorm on Thursday. “Maha Vikas Aghadi Government should come forward and show some sensibility by giving compensation to Vidarbha farmers immediately. Unseasonal rains and hailstorm destroyed cops in large area and now farmers are looking at the government for relief and compensation,” said Fadnavis.
Temperature to fall, rains to recede in next couple of days: IMD According to IMD the North-easterly winds will reduce the minimum temperatures of Vidarbha by one to two degrees Celsius in the coming two to three days. Isolated pockets of East Vidarbha may continue to receive light rainfall but gradually the weather will become dry. After this, weather in the entire State will become dry and no rains are expected for the subsequent four to five days, as per IMD. Weather will remain clear with sunny skies and maximum temperatures of Vidarbha may see a rise by three to four degrees Celsius in the coming days due to clearance of sky and cessation of rainfall.