Fire destroys cashew, mango, coconut plantation in Sindudurg

Mumbai: Cashew, mango and coconut plantation over 500 acres was gutted after dry hay caught fire at a village in Sindhudurg district, disaster management officials said on Thursday.

Dry hay at an agricultural field in Banda tehsil's Dingane village caught fire last evening and it soon spread to adjoining fields, gutting cashew, mango and coconut plantation under 500 acres, a personnel at district disaster management cell said.

Coastal district Sindhudurg is state's one of the largest mango and cashew producing regions.

Over 90 goats at a farm were also killed in the blaze, while some houses were also affected, the personnel added.

"Horticultural plantation in Konkan region has been getting destroyed due to natural fires for the past some years, but fire gutting down 500 acres plantation is rare," Sindhudurg district collector Uday Chowdhary told PTI.

The damage assessment is on and it will be finalised soon, district revenue officials said.