Administration still trying to assess cyclone damage in all areas: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday visited Kelshi, Harne, Bankot, Mandivali and Velas in Ratnagiri district which has been affected by Cyclone Nisarga. 

Pawar was on his two-day visit to the Konkan region which has been adversely-hit by the cyclone and has caused major damage in several areas while destroying the public and private properties including the crops of farmers here.  

During his visit, the NCP supremo interacted with the locals of these villages as well as the ‘Sarpanch’ of Velas and Kelshi village to take stock of the damage caused by the cyclone. 

While addressing the reporters in a press conference, Pawar said that the administrative machinery in Maharashtra has not been able to reach every affected area which has caused delay in the preliminary assessment of the damage caused due to Cyclone Nisarga. 

Pawar, former Union Agriculture Minister, further informed that the administration was recording the damages which have been caused to the orchards, farms and houses in the district. 

“The local administrative officials have told me that they have not been able to reach all the places which have suffered losses due to the cyclone. The state government should provide more than financial assistance to the victims,” he said in the presser. 

The cyclone has damaged the mango, coconut and betel nut orchards due to which the farmers here have incurred long-term losses and the government should compensate them considering losses for the next 7-8 years, Pawar asserted. 

“The farmers had taken loans from nationalised banks and their repayment seems difficult given the damage caused by the cyclone. The state government should make efforts to provide concessions,” he said.  

Pawar said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will discuss the issues related to the impact of the cyclone which has caused huge damage in the Konkan region. 

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