KOLHAPUR: Solapur district in western Maharashtra, a region usually spared from heavy rainfall, has been hit unusually hard this year. In just five months, three rounds of intense rain have inundated parts of the district, causing extensive damage to crops and farmland.
The relentless downpours have not only destroyed crops but also left the soil in a condition that makes future cultivation challenging. For farmers, the financial and emotional toll is immense, as years of investment and hard work have been wiped out by forces beyond their control.
Mallinath Patane, 46, from Boramani in South Solapur tehsil, says he could have earned Rs 6–8 lakh from his five-acre papaya plantation if not for the rains. “The first hit came in May, when early monsoon showers damaged half my plantation. Two months later, in July, the crops were struck again. This month, the crop’s viability ended completely. All the plants have been uprooted, and raw papaya bunches have fallen off. Waist-deep rainwater has caused root rot and leaf loss,” he said. Patane now faces the daunting challenge of recovering his costs and generating any income this year.
Between June and August, Boramani received an average of 200 mm of rainfall per month. In September alone, however, it recorded 365 mm—214% above the long-term average.
Over the past decade, better irrigation facilities have encouraged farmers in Solapur to shift toward horticulture. In Barshi taluka, for instance, grape cultivation has replaced traditional grain farming.
Ganesh Patil, 41, from Raresal village in Barshi tehsil, said his vineyard survived pest attacks after the May rains. “But this monsoon, the plants haven’t received enough sunlight to mature. The leaves are decaying, and the vines are unlikely to bear fruit. All our efforts for a good yield have gone to waste. Since there is no harvest this season, I don’t expect any compensation either,” he said. Patil’s family cultivates seven acres, spending roughly Rs 1 lakh per acre.
Raresal in the Vairag revenue circle recorded 429 mm of rain between June and August, followed by 329 mm in September—210% above the average for the month.
Sudhir Karande, whose grape and sugarcane farms lie in Kevad village of Madha tehsil, recounted that his land was submerged under six feet of floodwater for three days as the Sina river overflowed. On the opposite bank, Darfal village required Army-led rescue operations to evacuate stranded residents. “The floodwater hit with such force that metal supports for the grapevines were pulled from their concrete bases. Irrigation pipes were damaged, and the entire plantation is buried under mud,” Karande said, unsure how to document crop damage for official assessments.
Tatyaso Patil, 55, also from Kevad, visited his farm after the waters receded and was shocked. “The land is full of craters; the topsoil is gone. I had five acres of sugarcane, but except for a few remnants, the entire crop and soil are gone. I have never seen such floods. How can we revive the land, and where will we get the money?” he lamented. His adsali sugarcane, which takes over 18 months to mature for high yields, has been completely destroyed in a district renowned for its sugar mills.
Amol Latake, deputy sarpanch of Kevad village, urged the government to provide farmers like Patil with fertile land, noting that it could take years—or even decades—for flood-hit land to regain its cultivability.
