Ground Report: Waterlogging wreaks havoc on Yamunanagar farms this monsoon

Waterlogging in agricultural fields has become a persistent and worsening problem during the monsoon season in parts of Yamunanagar district, with several areas battling the problem for the past few years.

Crops are rotting in standing water that has remained stagnant in the fields for extended periods. In many affected areas, paddy and sugarcane have started turning yellow, while in some fields, the crops are drying up altogether — leaving farmers anxious and worried about their livelihoods.

Vegetables and green fodder cultivated for livestock have also been severely impacted.

Sanju Gundiana, district president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), said the problem is particularly severe in 10-12 villages, including Kotarkhana, Landhora, Rajpura, Bhambol, Kanheri, Kail, Rulakheri, Sudhail and Sudhal — all located in Jagadhri tehsil.

According to him, the root of the problem lies in inadequate infrastructure on the Yamunanagar–Panchkula highway.

“This problem has emerged because the Yamunanagar-Panchkula highway was not constructed properly,” Gundiana said. “In addition, the height of several link roads has been raised without proper water drainage arrangements, blocking the natural flow of rainwater.”

He added both the highway and link roads have become a nightmare for farmers.

“Under the BKU banner, farmers have been knocking on every door for a solution. They’ve met local political leaders, the Deputy Commissioner, highway authorities and officials from various departments multiple times — but the problem remains unresolved,” he said.

Farmers lament once highly fertile land in these closely situated villages is now rendered unproductive by waterlogging, which has destroyed this season’s crops and severely affected their income.

“There is stagnant water in my six acres of sugarcane fields and the crop has started turning yellow,” said Gurtar Singh Booter, a resident of Sasauli who owns farmland in Landhora.

He noted water used to drain more easily when the roads were lower. “But with the highway and repeated elevation of link roads, the natural flow of rainwater has been disrupted,” he said.

Another farmer, Kashmira Singh of Landhora, reported water stagnation has damaged eight acres of sugarcane and three acres of paddy. “I had also planted poplar trees among the sugarcane, and many of those are drying up as well,” he said, urging the government to build a drainage channel along the highway.

Gulab Singh from Kanheri village said his family owns about 35 acres of land, of which roughly 28 acres are waterlogged.

“There were two culverts near Bhamboli village; however, they were sealed during the highway’s construction. Also, the elevation of the Bhamboli-Rajpura link road has worsened waterlogging in this area,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta stated, in response to farmer concerns, the state government has opened the Ekshatipurti Portal for the registration of crop damage due to monsoon rains and waterlogging. The portal will remain open until September 10.

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana said the state government has launched initiatives to compensate farmers for monsoon-related crop losses. He said compensation would be disbursed through the e-compensation portal.