Karimpur, March 31: A hailstorm that swept over Karimpur-I and II blocks in Nadia on Friday night had largely ravaged standing crops as well as banana and betel cultivation. Block development officer of Karimpur-I Surajit Ghosh said several villages under eight gram panchayat bodies in the area were devastated. The farmers in the area are largely involved in banana and betel production. Ghosh said: “Banana orchards spread in over few thousand acres of land as well as betel production have been damaged apart from paddy and crops.
Officials of agriculture department have flung into action to assess the losses. The exact amount of the loss, however, yet to be worked out. Necessary compensation to the farmers will be arranged later”. Meanwhile, the local administration with the help of forest and police officials cleared the Karimpur-Domkol road which was blocked at several places due to uprooting to big trees. Police said, the traffic movements have been restored late in the morning.