The Marathwada region in Maharashtra, which faced severe drought last year, is facing floods after above normal range rain in the region. The authorities said that nearly 50% of kharif crops has been washed away. Agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar has been quoted by the newspaper daily as saying, “Marathwada, which was reeling under a drought,  received good rains throughout this season and we were expecting a good yield. However, heavy rains in the past three days have destroyed crops in all eight districts of Marathwada, including Osmanabad and Hingoli districts. As per reports received till Monday morning, over 1.4 million hectares of crops are affected.”

He further said, “Cotton and soybeans are the two cash crops that have received the maximum damage. But, the rains have filled all the reservoirs to the brim and that will help the rabi crop.”

The state cabinet is to meet in Aurangabad on Tuesday and the 40 proposals of pending development projects in Marathwada including the development of the ‘water grid system’ on the lines of Telangana, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to overcome the scarcity of drinking water and the development of second and third phase of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor.

According to the reports, the state cabinet, however, is expected to announce several short and long-term flood-relief measures instead of announcing the development projects.

By Prajakt K.