Unseasonal rains in MP: 50 killed, heavy crop damage

Bhopal, Mar 11(UNI) Unseasonal rains and hailstorm which lashed Madhya Pradesh this week caused heavy damage to crops in over an area of 46,000 hectars and killed at least 50 people, official sources said today.

The human casualties were caused by lightning and rain-related incidents. At least 120 people were also injured. More than 200 head of cattle perished and about 2,000 houses were damaged in the calamity.

Hailstorm and unseasonal rains damaged crops in over 1500 villages in more than 30 districts and the government machinery was engaged in assessing the damage, the sources said.

The crop damage was hotly debated in the Assembly yesterday when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced waiving of land revenue and suspension of agriculture loan recovery and converting short-term loans to long-term in the affected villages.

The Chief Minister airdashed to New Delhi last night to apprise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar about the natural calamity and to seek a special package for the state.

Heavy rains lashed the state capital and adjoining areas last night bringing down the temperature considerably, while the weather office forecast heavy rains mainly in the eastern part of the state.

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