Crop Damaged by Unseasonal Rain? What Maharashtra Farmers Should Do in the First 72 Hours: Insurance Claim, Panchnama and Photos
If unseasonal rain damages your crop, report it to your insurer within 72 hours, ask for a panchnama from the talathi and agriculture assistant, and keep geotagged photos.
Photo: Abhi / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If unseasonal rain or hail damages your crop, report the loss to your crop insurer within 72 hours, ask your talathi and agriculture assistant for a panchnama (field inspection), and keep dated photos of the damage. These three steps are what insurance claims and state relief depend on.
This week’s rain shows why it matters. Indapur got 131 mm in 24 hours on 1 and 2 November, and IMD expected rain to continue in parts of Madhya Maharashtra before easing from 4 November. Read our report on the rain in Pune district.
Step 1: Inform your insurer within 72 hours
If your crop is insured under PMFBY, localised damage such as hailstorm, inundation or unseasonal rain on harvested crop lying in the field must be reported within 72 hours. You can report it:
- on the Crop Insurance app or pmfby.gov.in,
- through the helpline 14447,
- at your bank branch or taluka agriculture office.
Note the complaint number. Insurers may send a surveyor to inspect.
Step 2: Ask for a panchnama
State relief for crop loss is based on a panchnama, a joint inspection by the talathi, agriculture assistant and gram sevak. Contact them quickly, before you clear the field. Relief is usually paid only where losses are 33% or more.
Step 3: Keep evidence
- Take photos and videos of the damaged crop with the date, ideally geotagged
- Keep your 7/12 extract, e-Peek Pahani crop record and insurance receipt ready
- Note the date and time of the rain or hail
Protect harvested produce
- Cover harvested soybean, onion or cotton with tarpaulin and keep it off wet ground
- Dry produce fully before storage; damp onion and soybean rot fast
- Delay spraying or fertiliser application if more rain is forecast
Use a weather app to plan field work; see the best apps for village-level forecasts. For how insurance works this season, read our guide to rabi crop insurance.
Claim rules depend on your insurance policy and the state’s relief norms. Follow instructions from your insurer and taluka agriculture office.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours do I have to report crop damage for insurance?
72 hours after the event, through the Crop Insurance app, pmfby.gov.in, helpline 14447, your bank or the agriculture office.
Who does the crop damage panchnama in Maharashtra?
A joint team of the talathi, agriculture assistant and gram sevak inspects the field.
How much loss is needed for government relief?
Relief is usually given where crop loss is 33% or more, as assessed in the panchnama.
Is damage to harvested crops covered by insurance?
Under PMFBY, damage to harvested crop left to dry in the field from rain or hail can be covered if reported within the time limit, subject to policy terms.
