Untimely rains leave farmers worried

Tribune News Service

Hisar, September 22

The post-monsoon rain lashing the region since Saturday morning has left farmers worried, as they were set to harvest the kharif crops, including cotton, paddy, bajra, and moong. Agriculture experts say that the Saturday rain is unlikely to have a major impact on the crops but they can suffer damage if the rain continues for the next couple of days, as forecast by the Meteorological Department.

Farmers have started plucking cotton balls in the region and harvesting is likely to pick up next week. However, the rain can lead to moisture in the blooming balls and their blackening. The rain accompanied with strong winds have also damaged standing paddy, moong, jawar, and bajra crops.

However, farmers hope that it will be beneficial for the advance sowing of chana and mustard for the coming rabi season.

Kuldeep Sheoran, a farmer of Badhra village, said that they also suffered losses due to sudden wilting of cotton. “Whatever cotton crop is remaining, the untimely rain is likely to damage it. Bajra has also been flattened by winds accompanying the rain,” he said.

Baldev Singh of the Indian Meteorological Department in Hisar said that about 44 mm of rainfall was recorded in Hisar till Saturday evening. “The weather condition will continue for the next two or three days,” he added.

Dr Surender Singh, Head of Meteorological Department in the HAU, said that the rain adversely impacted the kharif crops, which are on maturity. “More rain is forecast for the next couple of days. The cotton, paddy and moong crops are unlikely to withstand excessive rain and strong winds. However, it will be beneficial for farmers who are planning advance sowing of mustard and chana,” he added.

Paddy crop flattened

Kurukshetra: Standing paddy crop at a few places was reportedly flattened due to rain accompanied by winds in the early hours of Saturday. Deputy Director, Agriculture, Dr Karamchand, said that no major impact on the paddy crop had been reported. However, crops were lodged in a few pockets in low-lying areas, he added. A maximum of 14 mm to 31 mm of rainfall was received in the district.

Crop at grain markets drenched

Ambala: Standing paddy crop at several places was flattened due to untimely rainfall in the district. The produce lying in grain markets got drenched, resulting in a higher moisture level in the crop. Suresh Kumar, a farmer, said that the crop flattened and now it would be harvested manually. Meanwhile, Deputy Director Agriculture Girish Nagpal, said that, “No report of crop loss has been received from any part of the district.

Alert sounded

Sonepat: The district administration has sounded an alert in villages located along the Yamuna and advised villagers not to enter the river and leave their cattle near it, as the water level is likely to increase considerably in the coming hours following heavy rain in Himachal areas since Friday. The district has received 12 mm to 25 mm of rainfall at different places. Though there has been no report of crop loss, crop harvesting will be temporarily hampered for a few days.

Harvesting of flattened crop to be costly

Yamunanagar: Farmers are afraid that the excessive rain can result in flooding of their fields, causing damage to their paddy crops. “Most of the paddy crop in the district is in the harvesting stage. At this stage, rain could flatten the standing crop or even lead to germination,” said Joginder Singh, a farmer from Devdhar village in the district.

Arun Kumar, a farmer from Jathlana village, said that farmers had to pay more to labourers or harvesters for harvesting their flattened paddy crop, which is more time consuming and difficult. “Also, farmers get a lower yield from the flattened crop,” he added.

The Jagadhri block recorded the highest rainfall of 48 mm in the past 24 hours up to 8 am on Saturday. The Sadhaura block received 32 mm of rain, Bilaspur block 28 mm, Chhachhrauli 27 mm and Radaur block 18 mm. According to information, Yamunanagar district has 72,000 hectares under paddy crop. Most of the crop is in the harvesting stage.

The highest water level in the Yamuna at the Hathnikund barrage here was 16,357 cusecs at 3 pm on Saturday.

Surender Kumar Yadav, Deputy Director Agriculture, Yamunanagar, said that they had so far not received any report of damage to the paddy crop due to rain.

Chief Minister’s rally cancelled

The Pragati rally of the BJP to be addressed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at Kaimri village in the Nalwa segment of Hisar on Saturday was cancelled due to rain. The BJP had made elaborate arrangements for the rally and party workers had been working hard to mobilise peopley. The Chief Minister cancelled all programmes in Hisar. 

Warning along Yamuna

Hisar: The Central Government has issued a warning to the northern states, including Haryana, about heavy to very heavy rainfall in the region in the next three days. The state government has issued a warning urging people living along the Yamuna not to go close to the river, as the water level is likely to go up in view of the rains in Himachal Pradesh. Following the weather advisory, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University has postponed the Krishi Mela to be held on September 24-25 to October 4-5 October.