A video showed farmer Gaurav Panwar trying to save his peanut crop from rain in Maharashtra. Unseasonal rains damaged harvests. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured Panwar of compensation after seeing the video

NEW DELHI: A viral video of a desperate farmer in Maharashtra struggling to save his rain-soaked groundnut crop from getting washed away has surfaced on the internet.The video shows farmer Gaurav Panwar on his knees in a muddy mandi compound, using his bare hands to gather his drenched harvest as unseasonal rains lashed the region. Several clips from the area also captured other farmers lying on their crops, trying to shield them from the sudden downpour.Moved by the visuals, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached out to Panwar over phone, assuring him of compensation. “The video pained me. But don’t worry. I’ve spoken to the Maharashtra CM, the agriculture minister, and the collector. Whatever losses have occurred will be compensated,” Chouhan told Panwar. The minister also said efforts were being made to ensure aid is processed by Monday. Panwar, meanwhile, said he had fallen ill after getting drenched in the rain. Panwar was among several farmers who brought their produce to the market without any protection in place. With no shelters at the mandi, most were left helpless as the rain destroyed their harvest.