Rabi crops damaged in Fazilka villages; process starts to assess losses

Ferozepur Hailstorm and the unseasonal downpour has damaged mustard, wheat crops and kinnow orchards in over a dozen villages of Abohar, a sub-division of Fazilka district. Kalar Kehda; Usman Kehda; Saidawala; Panjawa; Gumjal; Khuia Sarvar and Gumzal villages have been the worst-hit.

Fazilka deputy commissioner Arwinder Pal Singh Sandhu said, “There are preliminary reports of damage to crops in some Abohar villages. It will take a week for the assessment of the extent of loss.” He added, “A survey to assess losses so as to start a process to provide compensation to the affected farmers has been initiated.”

“The hailstorm was terrible for our crops and brought destruction. In some villages, crops were under a ‘white blanket’. In the majority of the affected villages, the extent of crop loss is between 50 and 100%,” said Swaran Singh, of Panjawa village.

Another farmer from Gumjal village, Jaswant Singh, whose crop has also been damaged, said, “Farmers must get due compensation for the destruction caused in such unseasonal rain. We, however, also demand from the government a revision in compensation rates. The present grant of ₹12,000 per acre as compensation for 100% loss is too little.” Farmers add that the process for the disbursal of compensation also needed to be faster for them to move on with their lives, after facing such natural calamities.

Quotes please (if needed)

A survey to assess losses so as to start a process to provide compensation to the affected farmers has been initiated. It will take a week.

APS Sandhu, Fazilka

deputy commissioner

In some villages, crops were under a ‘white blanket’. In the majority of the affected villages, the extent of crop loss is between 50 and 100%.

Swaran Singh, farmer,

of Panjawa village.

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Govt must order girdawari

for rabi crops: Sukhbir

Chandigarh Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to order an immediate Girdawari (revenue assessment) to assess damage caused to rabi crops, due to heavy rain and hailstorm over the past few days.

“As per reports, there is widespread damage to wheat as well as mustard and vegetable crops in Nawanshahr, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Rupnagar, Sangrur, Mansa and Ferozepur districts due to heavy rain and hailstorm. Moderate damage to crops was also reported from other districts,” Sukhbir said, adding that the compensation needed to be increased and must be provided within a designated time frame.