Unseasonal rain batters Marathwada, crops damaged across districts

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Unseasonal rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning lashed several parts of Marathwada on Friday, damaging standing and harvested crops across Ghatanandra, Sillod, Fardapur, Soygaon, Chincholi Limbaji, Gangapur, and Parsoda regions.

In Ghatanandra, heavy afternoon showers caused waterlogging, power cuts, and panic among citizens, forcing farmers to rush to protect their maize crops. Sillod tehsil recorded rainfall in all eight circles, with Borgaon worst affected destroying kharif maize and cotton. Fardapur too witnessed heavy downpour, leading to sharp losses as traders are expected to reduce cotton prices that had reached Rs 7,000 per quintal. In Soygaon, half an hour of intense rain soaked harvested cotton and maize, disrupting post-Diwali farm work. Chincholi Limbaji in Kannad taluka experienced rain for the fourth straight day, worsening conditions for maize, bajra, soybean, and cotton growers. Gangapur faced similar damage on Lakshmi Pujan day, with a one-hour downpour flattening cotton, tur, and soybean crops. Meanwhile, Parsoda and nearby villages such as Bhivgaon, Bendwadi, and Vinayaknagar remained submerged after three days of relentless rain, leaving maize and cotton fields flooded. Farmers across the region fear massive financial losses as the retreating monsoon continues to wreak havoc.