Farmers seek extension of deadline to extract sand from fields

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, October 16

Farmers have sought extension of deadline to extract sand from their fields amidst recent rains.

Villages of Sultanpur Lodhi still have 3-4 feet sand in fields after deluge wreaked havoc in their area earlier this year. Fresh rains have further muddied waters across villages in the region. Even as the Mining Department had set October 12 deadline for farmers to extract sand brought by floods in their fields, majority of them have been unable to do so. Farmers said they needed months depending on their resources to extract sand from fields.

Sarwan Singh, a Baupur Jadid village-based farm leader said, “If the government doesn’t extend the deadline for extracting sand and girdwari is not issued to farmers immediately, many would die by suicide in Kapurthala like Malwa region. Only outsiders have been able to extract sand and dump it on temporary bundhs. Many need money for diesel to extract sand from fields. Farmers are still clearing roads near fields to enable movement of tractor-trailers. We need seven more months. The deadline is unrealistic. This is breaking backs of farmers.”

Sarwan said, “The government can conduct surveys and the police can take affidavits from flood-affected farmers, but the deadline for extracting sand must be extended immediately.”

Farmers said 50 per cent of the agricultural land in villages, including Mand Mubarakpur, Sangra, Mand Bandu Jadid, Mand Bandu Kadim, Baupur Kadim and others, was buried under a thick layer of sand, which now had pockets of rainwater after the recent downpour.

Kuldeep Singh, a Baupur Kadim village resident, who lost his uncle in July this year after he suffered heart attack following flooding of his house, says his crop was gone. He said there was currently no hope to sow any crop.

Kuldeep said, “Out of my eight acres, half is still buried under three to four feet layer of sand. I tried extracting some sand a few days ago, but the police came and said I didn’t have the permission to do so. The government doesn’t extract sand on my land. What is illegal if I sell sand from my own land? We’ve lost everything and now don’t even have rights on sand that has accumulated on our fields.”

Paramjit Singh, a resident of Baupur Jadid village, said, “Our hopes were almost rekindled when the sun started drying sand in fields. But rains during the last two days have wreaked havoc and made many fields inaccessible. It would take at least a month or more to get fields ready for wheat sowing and more for those covered with silt.”

He said, “There is uneven land in the area, which further adds to problems. Fifty per cent land of various flood-hit villages is similarly affected. So far, except for the help from area MLA Rana Inder Partap and Baba Sukha Singh, no government or administration aide has come for the flood-stricken farmers.”