VALPOI
A major fire destroyed about 500 trees across four cashew plantations at Hivre-Thane in Sattari, damaging property worth an estimated Rs 3 lakh.
The fire on Tuesday morning affected four cashew cultivators, Mahadev Gaonkar, Dholu Gaonkar, Tukaram Gaonkar and Appa Gaonkar.
A fire brigade took about three hours to extinguish the fire, and preventing further damage to the plantations. While the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, it is suspected that dry grass may have caught fire, leading to the massive blaze.
The affected farmers have urged local MLA Dr Deviya Rane to provide financial assistance to help them recover from the losses.
