Baramati sees polls as silver lining

The inter-ministerial committee that inspected the hailstorm-hit areas admits surprise at the promptness of relief operations. “This is the first time I have seen panchnamas being completed so fast,” says Nilesh Gaikwad, a member of the panel. In Baramati, 70 per cent of the panchnamas — the first stage of arriving at a compensation — were completed in just four days.

According to official figures available with the Baramati taluka tehsil, hailstorm destroyed 6,137 hectares of cropped area in 76 villages. The estimated loss to crops is Rs 58.87 crore, while property worth Rs 9 lakh has been destroyed and 222 livestock killed. Real damage could be to the tune of Rs 200 crore plus, say experts. The grape farmers are the worst affected.

Papaya, sugarcane, pomegranates, capsicum and watermelon farms have also been hit. “Grapes are harvested in three lots. While two lots were harvested, the third lot, which yields eight-nine tonnes of grapes per acre, was to be harvested in three-four days. At the current market rate of Rs 60-65 a kg, a farmer with one acre of grape crop would have earned Rs 4.5-5 lakh. Farmers are trying to sell the grapes to wineries, which are buying these at Rs 12-14 a kg,” says Chandrakant Kate, head of the Bazaar Samitee.

In one of the worst-affected villages, Bori, Chandrakant Patil had invested about Rs 1.5 lakh in his grape garden, partly through loan. His biggest worry is repaying the same. “A grape crop requires Rs 5 lakh of investment per acre in the first year. This involves erecting structures, laying pipelines for irrigation, labour, insecticides and fertilisers. It will take at least four seasons for me to recover,” Patil says.

Bori had been praised by Pawar for its rainwater harvesting system, and is the maximum contributor of export quality grapes from the belt. Almost 800 acres of land here is under grape cultivation, with 600-700 workers employed in the fields.