Haryana orders special ‘girdawari’ as heavy rain batters cotton, paddy crops

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar/Sirsa, September 23

The Haryana Government today ordered special “girdawari” to compensate farmers as record rainfall over the last two days has wreaked havoc on cotton and other kharif crops in various parts of the state.

The state’s cotton belt comprising Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar is worst-affected due to the incessant rain coupled with the pink bollworm infestation. The rain has also led to waterlogging of paddy crop in several districts, including Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala, dampening the prospects of a bumper crop.

Haryana has about 14.78 lakh acres under cotton which includes 5 lakh acres in Sirsa and 3 lakh acres each in Hisar and Fatehabad districts.

Babu Lal, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Sirsa, admitted that the rain had hit the cotton crop hard. “The cotton plants that are now ladenwith fruit (white bolls) and are at maturity stage cannot withstand rain.

The quality of bolls will deteriorate and the production too will come down. We have received 5,000 complaints of cotton farmers for compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna in a week,” he said.

Farmers at Sulkhani, Bugana, Dhansu and Kharkari in Hisar said almost the entire cotton crop had got damaged due to the heavy rainfall. In Chanot village of Hisar, farmers said nearly 2,000 acres under cotton had been destroyed due to the pink bollworm.

Haryana Agriculture Minister JP Dalal said the officials concerned had been ordered to complete special ‘girdawari” at the earliest so that he farmers could be suitably compensated.

Highest rainfall since 2013

89 mm rainfall recorded in Hisar on Wednesday (highest since 2013), 32.1 mm on Thursday

Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad worst-hit

Haryana has 14.78 lakh acres under cotton, including 5 lakh acres in Sirsa & 3 lakh acres each in Hisar and Fatehabad districts