'About 28,000 farmers affected in Pune due to recent cyclone'

 About 28,000 farmers have been affected by cyclone 'Nisarga' in Maharashtra's Pune district, an official said on Saturday citing a preliminary assessment. The cyclone had made landfall near Shrivardhan in coastal Raigad district, about 177 kms away from Pune, on Wednesday afternoon bringing alone gusty winds and heavy rainfall, before moving in the north-east direction.

"Prima facie, 28,000 farmers and 371 villages were affected," said Pune collector Naval Kishore Ram. Though located in ghat areas in Pune district, the villages that were affected by the cyclone are geographically close to the coastal Konkan region.

Earlier in the day, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. and his cabinet colleague Dilip Walse Patil chaired a meeting with officials in Pune.