A farmer in Maharashtra was seen desperately trying to save his produce from being washed away in a heavy downpour in a heartbreaking video doing the rounds on social media. The video reflects the losses that farmers are incurring due to unseasonal rain in several Maharashtra districts.
Gaurav Panwar, the farmer in the video, had brought his peanut crop to a market in Washim when it started to rain. When the rain started to gnaw away at his hard-earned produce, Mr Panwar, with helplessness written all over his face, was seen trying to save it with his bare hands.
The poignant scene moved the Union Agriculture Minister, who called the farmer and assured him that his loss would be compensated.
Union Minister Shivraj Chouhan shared a video of his conversation with Mr Panwar on X. In the call, the farmer can be heard saying that he has suffered a lot of losses.
“It (the video) pained me. But, don’t worry. The Maharashtra government is very sensitive to the issue of farmers. I have spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the state’s agriculture minister. I have spoken to the collector as well. Whatever losses have occurred will be compensated so that you and your family don’t face any trouble,” Mr Chouhan was heard saying.
“They will try to solve the issue by Monday… We are all with you,” he assured.
सोशल मीडिया पर महाराष्ट्र के किसान भाई श्री गौरव पंवार जी का मार्मिक वीडियो देखकर हृदय विचलित हो गया।
असमय बारिश ने मंडी में रखी उनकी मूंगफली की फसल को बर्बाद कर दिया। किसान होने के नाते मैं इस पीड़ा को भली प्रकार समझ सकता हूं। मैंने गौरव जी से फोन पर बात की, उन्हें ढांढस… pic.twitter.com/gGn6a3BuMi
— Office of Shivraj (@OfficeofSSC) May 18, 2025
Mr Panwar told the minister that since he got drenched in the rain, he was feeling a bit unwell.
Earlier, Maharashtra NCP (Sharad Pawar) president Jayant Patil also cited the tragic video and urged the state government to take swift action to provide relief and support to the affected farmers.
“The state is experiencing heavy unseasonal rainfall, with hailstorms reported in several regions. This has caused significant crop damage, and the meteorological department has predicted more rainfall in the coming days. I urge the government to provide immediate assistance to the affected farmers,” he said in a statement.
