KATHMANDU, MARCH 20 A powerful storm that struck Chitwan on March 16 has caused damage to banana crops worth over Rs 40 million, officials said. According to Mahesh Regmi, chief of the National Agriculture Modernisation Programme Implementation Unit in Chitwan, assessments carried out on Wednesday and Thursday covered 20 affected banana farms. The storm caused significant damage in banana-producing areas, including wards 7 and 23 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City; wards 5, 12 and 14 of Ratnanagar Municipality; ward 13 of Khairahani Municipality; and wards 2 to 5 of Kalika Municipality. Regmi said some farms reported losses of up to 88 percent, with overall damage estimated at 43.35 percent. Banana is cultivated across around 2,000 hectares in the district. Meanwhile, Banana Super Zone Coordinator Bishnu Hari said commercial banana farmers have been hit hard, with compensation delays worsening their situation. He said farmers have yet to receive last year's compensation and remain uncertain about when it will be disbursed. So far, farmers have filed insurance claims worth around Rs 40 million, though officials say it may take time to determine the full extent of the losses as applications continue to come in. Some farmers, he added, do not have insurance coverage. Around 700 farmers are engaged in commercial banana cultivation in Chitwan. (With inputs from RSS)