Around seven villages in Murbad taluka within Thane district experienced hailstones on Sunday evening. The sudden change in weather has destroyed acres of crops in Alaychi Wadi, Merdi, Modhalwadi, Kelewadi, Valhivare, Dharrkhid and Bandeshet villages.
The hailstones have also damaged many of the houses that did not have sturdy rooftops, and impacted the glass windows too. The unexpected change in weather has also changed the façade of the village, making it looks like an ice-covered hill station.
“The hailstones fell heavily on the roofs and windows of our houses. Though it was very cloudy for the past few days, we did not expect such a drastic change in weather. All the vegetables that were yet to be harvested have been destroyed and this has greatly affected us farmers,” said Jaideep Pavshe, 42, a resident of Merdi village.
The tribals who practice summer farming have been the most affected. Many villagers are asking for compensation as the farms and crops have been destroyed.
Murbad taluka’s tehsildar Amol Kadam said, “We have reached out to the villagers and are providing them support, especially to those whose houses have been damaged. We shall talk to the collector and decide if further support can be provided. These seven villages are within Thane District but are situated closer to Malshej Ghat. Around 150 houses were damaged, with some of the roofs having ripped apart completely. We are still assessing the damage to crops and other problems faced by the villagers.”
{{/usCountry}}Murbad taluka’s tehsildar Amol Kadam said, “We have reached out to the villagers and are providing them support, especially to those whose houses have been damaged. We shall talk to the collector and decide if further support can be provided. These seven villages are within Thane District but are situated closer to Malshej Ghat. Around 150 houses were damaged, with some of the roofs having ripped apart completely. We are still assessing the damage to crops and other problems faced by the villagers.”
{{/usCountry}}Murbad taluka has a population of around 22,000.
Amid the destruction, children in these villages were excited as they enjoyed playing with the layers of ice.