Ambala farmers in 100 villages suffer losses due to rain

Crops in around 100 villages of the district have suffered losses due to the untimely rain and hailstorm last evening in Ambala.

Advertisement

Farmers claimed that mustard, sunflower, potato, sugarcane, wheat and vegetable crops suffered severe damage. The harvested mustard seeds were also washed away.

As per initial reports, the hailstorm affected crops in nearly 100 villages in Ambala-1, Barara, Saha and Mullana blocks of the district. The mustard crop suffered a major loss, while the sowing of sunflower and maize, and uprooting of potato, has been affected.

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) has sought a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre. Its chief Gurnam Singh Charuni said, “Due to the hailstorm last evening, the farmers in Ambala and Kurukshetra have suffered heavy losses. The farmers don’t have any other source of income and they are in no position to sow another crop in the current situation. We urge the state government to get a special girdawari done and release compensation at the earliest.”

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) leaders also demanded compensation for the losses and submitted a memorandum to the City Magistrate, Ambala, for onward transmission to CM Nayab Saini.

BKU (SBS) Ambala district chief Gurmeet Singh Majri said, “The farmers have suffered heavy losses in green fodder, mustard, tomato, capsicum, wheat and recently sown sunflower crop. The union has requested the CM to order a survey to assess the loss and release adequate compensation immediately. The compensation will help the farmers in sowing the next crop.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director Agriculture, Ambala, Jasvinder Singh, said, “There is a report of losses in around 100 villages. Around 11,000-acre area was under mustard this year, of which around 3,000-acre was already harvested. Loss of around 30 per cent to 70 per cent is being reported in around 5,000-acre crop. The sowing of sunflower and maize was underway, and the hailstorm has affected it. The uprooting of potato will also get delayed by a couple of days. Not much damage to wheat has been reported so far, while fruit plants have suffered damage as flowering was at its peak.”