Mumbai: With heatwave sweeping across the state, Maharashtra recorded nine deaths since May 16. Four people in Jalgaon, two in Dhule and one each in Aurangabad, Bhandara and Ahmednagar are suspected of died of heatwave, said the director of state disaster management.
The state government is now planning to compensate the kin of the dead and also farmers who’ve lost crops due to the heat. Revenue minister Eknath Khadse said that the highest impact of the heat wave was felt in the districts of Vidarbha and Marathwada and central Indian ones like Nagpur, Wardha, Akola, Dhule, Bhandara, Gondia, Dhule and Nandurbar.
Khadse added “Till now, deaths from heat waves and crop losses due to it are not covered for compensation under National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) norms. Hence, we are collecting information on the damage to crops and sunstroke-related deaths and will put forth a proposal in the meeting of the state cabinet for compensation for the same.”