Farmers in Fatehabad’s Bhattu Kalan, Bhuna protest over crop damage

Farmers from the Bhattu Kalan and Bhuna areas in Fatehabad district have come together in protests on Thursday, demanding urgent government action to address massive crop losses caused by heavy rains and ongoing waterlogging problems. The protests highlight the deep distress faced by thousands of farmers struggling to save their livelihoods.

In Bhattu Kalan, hundreds of farmers gathered outside the Tehsil office on Wednesday, led by the All India Kisan Sabha. Their main demand was to start government procurement of groundnut crops from mid-September instead of the scheduled November 1 date. The farmers warned that delayed procurement would force them to sell their produce at low prices, worsening their financial crisis. They also called for the immediate activation of solar-powered pumps installed to drain waterlogged and saline-affected fields, which had severely damaged crops due to years of neglect and recent heavy rains.

Kisan Sabha district president Vishnu Dutt Sharma criticised the government’s handling of the situation, saying, “Excessive rain and long-standing salinity issues have broken the back of the farming community here. The government has done nothing but make empty promises.” The farmers also raised concerns about insurance companies and the compensation process, demanding that damage surveys be conducted transparently by local teams, including agriculture officials and farmer representatives. Sharma pointed out that since seeds were distributed through the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal, compensation should also be based on the same data to ensure fairness.

Meanwhile, in Bhuna, heavy rains on August 24-26 destroyed key crops such as cotton, guar, millet and vegetables, pushing farmers to protest outside the sub-tehsil office on Thursday. Led by Kisan Sabha leader Munshi Ram and supported by local leaders, the protesters handed over a memorandum demanding immediate crop loss surveys and the opening of the government’s e-Kshatipurti compensation portal— which they said remained non-functional, preventing the farmers from applying for relief.

Speaking at the Bhuna protest, former District Council member Ramswaroop Dhani Gopal said, “Months of hard work have been washed away. The farmers are already burdened by loans and now face financial ruin.” The protesters warned that if timely action was not taken, they would escalate their agitation.

Both protests reflect the farmers’ frustration with what they see as slow and inadequate government response. They urge officials to visit fields, conduct proper damage assessments and deliver swift compensation to help them recover. Without urgent relief, thousands of small and marginal farmers in Fatehabad risk losing their livelihoods and falling deeper into debt.