Crop damage: Farmers from only eight districts qualify for compensation
The district-wise data released by the relief commissioner’s office on Monday indicates that crop loss ranges between 5-15% or even less in 33 districts, with no reported loss in 34 districts and losses exceeding 33% have been reported in only eight districts.
LUCKNOW: While the recent hailstorm has caused crop damage in approximately 40 out of Uttar Pradesh’s 75 districts, only a few farmers in affected villages in eight districts alone may qualify for the government compensation, unless authorities adopt a more lenient stance, sources familiar with the matter revealed.
As per the Central government’s norms only farmers who suffer crop loss above 33% due to a natural calamity are eligible for compensation and damages above this limit have been reported from eight districts —five in Bundelkhand, two in western UP, and one in the eastern region.
The district-wise data released by the relief commissioner’s office on Monday indicates that crop loss ranges between 5-15% or even less in 33 districts, with no reported loss in 34 districts and losses exceeding 33% have been reported in only eight districts.
The districts with crop damages exceeding 33% are Basti (35 villages), Chitrakoot (10 villages), Jalaun (333 villages), Jhansi (32 villages), Saharanpur (62 villages), Shamli (33% of villages), Lalitpur (40-42% in 93 villages), and Mahoba (40-45% in 93 villages).
In Banda, the crop loss is approximately 30%, while in Amethi, Gorakhpur, Etah, Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Sambhal, it falls below 33%. Among the districts with reported crop losses ranging from 5-15% or less are Agra, Aligarh, Badaun, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Hapur, Kanpur Dehat, Kasganj, Mainpuri, and Shahjahanpur.
“As per the rules, only farmers who experience crop losses above 33% qualify for compensation from the government. Based on this criterion, affected farmers in only 7-8 districts may receive compensation,” said a senior official from the revenue department. “Therefore, the government may consider adopting a more lenient approach to benefit as many farmers as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, officials from the revenue department will convene a video conference with the district magistrates (DMs) of these districts on Tuesday to discuss the compensation mechanism. It should be noted that farmers experiencing crop losses of less than 33% may receive compensation from crop insurance companies, provided they have subscribed to a crop insurance policy.
