Mumbai, Oct 20 (IANS): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed district collectors to immediately conduct damage assessment surveys and provide compensation for agricultural and other losses caused by recent unseasonal rains across various regions of the state.

The directives by the Chief Minister came on Saturday as several districts in Amravati, Pune, Nashik, Kolhapur, and Marathwada regions have experienced heavy rainfall over the past few days, with some areas also reporting storms and strong winds.

Chief Minister Shinde asked the administration to conduct an impact assessment of significant damage reported to standing crops and harvested produce.

Major crops affected by unseasonal rains include paddy, soybean, tur (pigeon pea), cotton, sugarcane and fruit orchards.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to complete immediate panchnama (damage assessment) in affected areas, and provide compensation to affected farmers apart from rapid deployment of assessment teams in affected villages and activating district-level disaster management cells.

He instructed that district and taluka-level machinery should be mobilised immediately. "All relevant departments should work in coordination. District-level disaster management cells should collaborate with taluka-level authorities," he said.

Also, the administration has been directed to ensure proper coordination between various departments and immediate implementation of relief measures for the affected farmers.