Crops washed away, border farmers seek special girdawari

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, September 4

Sukhchain Singh, a farmer from Nihala Khilcha, is a worried man. His entire crop in Dona Telu Mal was washed away in floods last month when the Bhakra Dam authorities released excess water. Incessant rain upstream had filled the dam to the brim. Sukhchain, who has four daughters and two sons, one of whom is differently abled, said, “I had thought of marrying off one of my daughters this year, but crop damage has dashed my hopes.”

With his elder son not medically fit and his younger son still at school, Sukhchain is the sole bread winner of the family. Sukhchain is not an isolated case. Several farmers from villages that are near the border and along the Sutlej are reeling from crop losses. Whenever the Sutlej swells up, hundreds of farmers spend sleepless nights. This year even the wooden boat popularly called “bera” in the area - which is the only mode of transportation available to get to the mainland – got damaged.

“We have asked the deputy commissioner to provide us with a new boat. However, it seems that it will take some time. Since we are marginal farmers, we can’t afford to get one ourselves,” said Mahinder. Karan Singh Dhaliwal, president, Border Kisan Union, said standing crop in DT Mal, Gandu Khilcha,Tukda Gatti ,Tindiwalla, Rajoke Gatti, Kaluwala and other villages, close to the Sutlej, suffered heavy losses this year. Dhaliwal demanded that the state government immediately order a special girdawari.

He said, “We have met the district authorities umpteen times to provide the farmers a bera, but to no avail.” Deputy Commissioner DPS Kharbanda said a special girdawari had been recommended for the villages suffering extensive damage. He also said they had written to the state government to sanction funds for a bera.