Maharashtra: Unseasonal rains claim 10 lives, 150 animals in Marathwada region

Vehicles ply during heavy rains in Maharashtra`s Nagpur. Pic/PTI

Unseasonal rains in Maharashtra's Marathwada area have claimed the lives of 10 people and 150 animals in the week starting April 9, according to a state revenue department report.

The eight impacted districts are Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani, Latur, Nanded, Dharashiv, and Hingoli. The rains, which began on April 9, have caused substantial devastation, including the deaths of humans and animals, as well as damage to over 450 houses in 481 villages throughout the region, a report in PTI stated.

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According to the report, crop damage has also been significant, affecting around 5,256.86 hectares of land belonging to 9,127 farmers. According to the data, Beed district suffered the most agricultural losses, totalling 1,693.80 hectares.

Tragically, the rains took the lives of ten people, with Beed district reporting the most deaths (three), followed by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, and Latur districts, each with two deaths, and Hingoli district with one, the report further added.

Furthermore, 152 animals, including 117 milch animals, died as a result of the inclement weather, compounding an already severe situation for farmers and towns in the region, the PTI report additionally stated.

In an earlier PTI report dated April 12, a state government official recounted that Parbhani received the most rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, measuring 33.4 mm, while Latur received 14.3 mm.

"Apart from these two districts, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar received 1.6 mm, Jalna got 3.3 mm, Beed 7 mm, Dharashiv 7.9 mm, Nanded 8.9 mm, and Hingoli 7.2 mm," the official told news agency PTI on Friday,

Rain was earlier forecast for several locations throughout the state by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

"Light rains with gusty winds of 30-40 kmph are likely to occur at isolated locations across central Maharashtra districts, Marathwada, and the Vidarbha region," the Regional Meteorological Department had said on X.

Previously, in their afternoon alert on April 11, the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) senior official said that "Thunderstorms with lightning and light to moderate spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places in districts of Nanded, Latur and Dharashiv in next three to four hours."