Unseasonal rain hits M’wada; Lightning claims 6 lives

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Unseasonal rains accompanied by hailstorms in several parts of Marathwada have claimed six human lives, killed 14 animals while damaging crops and orchards spread over 2,500 hectares in the division in the last twelve days.

Of the affected area, crops spread over 1,923 hectares are in Jalna district alone. Notably, last month’s unseasonal rains had already damaged crops on 3,260 hectares across the region. However, the final report of the damage is yet to be submitted to the government.

All six casualties were due to lightning strikes. The recent spell of unseasonal rains persisted for seven out of twelve days in May. The gusty winds and hail accompanying the rainfall adversely affected maize and other summer crops, along with orchards of citrus, mango and other fruits.

As per the preliminary report, 17 hectares of arable land, 1,480 hectares of orchards, and 1,018 hectares of fruit crops have been damaged, totalling 2,511 hectares across the division.

District-wise, crop and orchard damage was reported on:

314 hectares in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

27 hectares in Parbhani

29 hectares in Hingoli

173 hectares in Nanded

16.60 hectares in Beed

27.20 hectares in Latur

People killed due to lightning

Since May 1, six people have died due to lightning strikes. The incidents include:

Two deaths each in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nanded districts

Three in Beed

One in Latur

Additionally, 14 animals have also died so far, according to the administration.

Among the incidents:

A buffalo belonging to farmer Narsig Aglave of Guntur (Kandhar tehsil) was killed on May 11.

Another buffalo belonging to Baliram Kallale died in Naigaon (Tembhurni tehsil).

A bull was killed by lightning in Therla (Patoda tehsil, Beed) on May 12.

Also, Vitthal Kavale (24), a resident of Bhatepuri in Jalna district, died after being struck by lightning. In another incident, the wall in front of Krishna Sonawane’s house at Hasanapur in Ambad tehsil collapsed due to the downpour.