Unseasonal rain, hailstorms and heatwaves during April-May adversely impacted fruit crops across the country. From Bihar to Maharashtra, TOI visits orchards to assess the extent of damage and its economic cost
Every year in Muzaffarpur, the summer’s oppressive heat brings with it the heavy, sweet scent of ripening fruit that fills the air. The pale pink ping pong ball-shaped fruit holds the promise of succulent, sweet flesh and juicy satisfaction. But this year, the smell of damp earth and rotting hangs across orchards in this Bihar district that’s famous the world over for its ‘Shahi’ litchi.
“When you walk into the orchard during litchi season, you can hear the call of birds and buzz of bees,” says 40-year-old Jitu Paswan, treading on a carpet of thousands of blackened, half-ripe fruits. “This year, you can hear the clicking sound of millions of bugs crawling over the bark. If you shake a branch, they drop on your head and spray a foul, burning liquid that stains your skin and stings your eyes.”
“When you walk into the orchard during litchi season, you can hear the call of birds and buzz of bees,” says 40-year-old Jitu Paswan, treading on a carpet of thousands of blackened, half-ripe fruits. “This year, you can hear the clicking sound of millions of bugs crawling over the bark. If you shake a branch, they drop on your head and spray a foul, burning liquid that stains your skin and stings your eyes.”