Hailstorm ruins wheat, vegetable crops

Perneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 18

Hailstorm, accompanied by strong winds, has dashed farmers’ hopes of reaping a rich harvest in Jandiala and Tarsikka blocks of Amritsar, besides certain pockets in the neighbouring Tarn Taran district.

Dhulka village sarpanch Varinder Singh said the hailstorm on Monday evening wreaked havoc on wheat crop, green fodder and vegetable crops like potatoes and peas in around 12 villages. He said most of the farmers who suffered losses were small and marginal ones. Wheat growers were the worst hit.

Balwinder Singh, a farmer, said they had high hopes of harvesting a good yield, but the sudden change in weather conditions and subsequent hailstorm left their crops ruined. “We don’t even have fodder to feed our livestock now,” he rued. Another farmer Preetam Singh said there was hardly any revival hope for the crop destroyed in the hailstorm.

These farmers demanded that the state government should take stock of the losses and award them adequate compensation. Sarja, Jabbowal, Dhulka, Raipur Khurd, Talwandi, Jodhanagri, Malowal and Muchhal villages in Tarsikka block, besides Bundala, Bhundal, Baba Jashaweliyan, Gonewal Haweliyan and Sukhowal villages in Jandiala block were the worst-hit.

The rainfall in these pockets was around 13 mm. However, there were no report of hailstorm in Ajnala, Attari and Majitha blocks. The farmers in affected villages have pegged losses around 50 per cent, though the extent of damage in some pockets could be much more. Farmer leader Rattan Singh Randhawa said there were receiving reports of damage caused by the hailstorm in different parts of Amritsar.

The Agriculture Department has taken note of the situation and a team of its officials will be out in the field tomorrow morning to assess the losses. The team will be led by Chief Agriculture Officer BS Chhina.

Meanwhile, reports of crop damage are also pouring in from neighbouring Tarn Taran district, particularly from villages on the Tarn Taran-Khadoor Sahib stretch. Satwinder Singh Palasaur, a farmer, said they were now concerned about their livestock as the entire green fodder crop had been destroyed. Virsa Singh said the farmers in their village had sown early varieties of wheat that had been hit hard. Harmandeep Singh Sarhali said his vegetable crop had been ruined. Sangha, Alowal, Lalpur and Vairowal were prominent among the affected villages.

The recent change in weather conditions has, however, been beneficial for the farmers in the areas where it merely rained and there was no hailstorm. Tehal Singh, a farmer from Chetanpura, said the villages in their area witnessed rainfall which, as of now, was good for the crop. Similarly, Sham Singh of Dhanoe Kalan village said the recent spell of showers was fruitful for their crop. (With inputs from Gurbaxpuri in Tarn Taran)