Paddy and vegetables on 20-25 hectares were destroyed after the wall of the left bank canal of the Bhatsa dam in Maharashtra's Thane district developed a breach, a revenue official said.
Water gushed into fields of 50 to 60 farmers of Avre village following the breach at around 5 am on Wednesday and damaged the crops, said Sahapur Tehsildar Nileema Suryavanshi citing an initial survey carried out by the revenue department.
Water did not enter the village. The issue of compensation to the affected farmers is being taken up on priority, the official said. The water supply from Bhatsa reservoir to the canal was shut but the leakage continued till late evening on Wednesday, other officials said. Bhatsa dam is a major source of water for Mumbai and Thane.