A senior agriculture officer, who is conducting the girdiwari (crop loss assessment), said that already in field to get the loss assessment done said that of the 13 lakh hectares under wheat, some fruits and vegetables that have been affected in Punjab, nearly 50,000 hectares is facing 100% loss. “Friday’s rainfall have added to the worry of farmers as well as the agriculture department as the area under 100% loss is likely to increase,” he said.
While Ferozepur district recoded the maximum rainfall till Friday at 24.5 mm, Hoshiarpur received 20mm rainfall, followed by Jalandhar at 13 mm.
In districts Sangrur, Muktsar, Bathinda, Barnala, it kept raining till late evening and IMD data couldn’t be available till the filing of this report.
Randeep Singh Sangatpura, a teacher and an activist from Sangatpura village of Sangrur, said, “Hailstorm followed by heavy rainfall damaged crops in our village and even in the neighbouring districts. Our wheat crops are all under water and this happened when we were about to sell them in the mandis.”
Jagmohan Singh Patiala, general secretary of BKU Dakaunda, said, “Farmers have suffered heavy loss and relief of Rs 15,000 per acre when losses are between 75% and 100% is very less. During the previous Congress government, then CM Charanjit Singh Channi had given compensation of Rs 17,000 per acre when cotton crop was under pink bollworm attack. This time we had expected this government to increase the compensation amount but they have just reduced it.”
Meanwhile, Gurvinder Singh, director of agriculture department, said that survey of losses has already been started and the assessment report will be compiled soon. However, according to the weather forecast, there will be moderate rainfall with gusty winds of 30-40 kmph in the next 24 hours in Mansa, Barnala, Moga, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Bathinda and Muktsar districts.
©Indian Express
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