With rain and heavy floods, farmers' struggle with crop loss continue in Punjab
Jul 26, 2023
Bathinda (Punjab) [India], July 26 : Following Sunday's heavy rains, farmers of Bhallaiana village in Punjab are facing yet another setback as floods has deluged over 100 acres of fertile agricultural land in the village situated along the Muktsar-Bathinda road, reported Khalsa Vox.
This March, heavy rains and hailstones already created havoc on their wheat crops which has added to their already disturbed situation.
With the weather showing no signs of letting up, the farmers fear that their losses might escalate further.
Hargobind Singh, one of the affected farmers, said, "Our paddy crop, which spans nearly 100 acres, is now submerged in knee-deep water. Given the low-lying nature of this area, we were already reeling from the damages caused to our wheat crops earlier in the year, and now our paddy fields are underwater. We earnestly appeal to the state government to not only compensate us for the losses incurred on our wheat crop but also conduct a special assessment of the damages caused to our paddy crop in this recent calamity.”
Basant Singh, another farmer, expressed his misery, “After losing my wheat crop on 10 acres, I now find my paddy crop submerged in rainwater. It’s devastating to see our hard work and livelihoods washed away” according to the report in Khalsa Vox.
However, Sukhjinder Singh, Agricultural Development Officer addressed the situation and said that there is a chance that cops will survive if the rainwater recedes in the next 24 hours.
“Reports confirm that the paddy crop on nearly 100 acres of land is indeed flooded. The critical window is the next 24 hours; if the rainwater recedes within this time frame, there is a chance that the crops might survive. However, any prolonged waterlogging could spell disaster for the farmers and damage their crops irreparably.”
The farmers of Bhallaiana village are hoping that the authorities will take action to monitor the damages and provide them with the necessary compensation to help them recover from this situation.
