NASHIK:
Nashikites are likely to witness partly cloudy skies with light rain in the city and or at isolated places in the district over the next five days, forecasts Igatpuri-based agricultural research centre, yesterday. This forecast has added more worries to the already distressed rain-hit farming community in the district which has suffered huge losses due to crop loss arising out of prolonged rains.
“The district will experience cloudy skies for the next five days. Light drizzles are also expected at isolated places in the district during the period,” predicted Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva Sanshodhan Kendra, Igatpuri on Saturday.
On Saturday, the climate in the city and throughout the district remained partly cloudy since morning. An impact of a low belt developed in the Arabian sea is being widely felt across the state.
The changing climatic conditions, cloudy skies and predicted light spell of showers may adversely impact crops of bajra, maize, jwar and horticultural crops of vineyards and pomegranate.
Meanwhile, a fresh monsoon surge is all set to affect South India, as a new Low-Pressure Area has formed over Southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining areas of the Indian Ocean. With the formation of a new government in the state, farmers hopes are revived who have been waiting for disbursement of first tranche of a financial aid of Rs 181.50 crore declared by the state administration in the midst of high-voltage political drama.
About 6.47 lakh hectares of farm field out of the cultivated 7.50 lakh hectares in the district suffered huge crop damages while major crops of maize, soyabean, bajra, jwar, onion and other horticultural crops like vineyards and pomegranate were badly hit by the retreating rains which were prolonged till the end of October.
Talukas of Malegaon Chandwad, Niphad, Kalwan and Sinnar were the worst hit by the untimely rains.
