Flood fury: Paddy arrival negligible in Lohian mandis

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, October 11

Not only the deluge, but also its aftermath has depressing effects on farmers. The procurement process has already picked up in the state, but Lohian mandis are witnessing a sombre look. The Tribune had earlier highlighted that the mandis were almost empty when the procurement had started on October 1. Even after 10 days, the situation is almost same in the mandis.

Nahal Mandi in the Lohian block has received only 50 quintals of paddy till now. Zero arrival was recorded at the mandi today. Last year, over 6,000 quintals of paddy was purchased from this market. Even Gidderpindi Mandi has received only 1,063 quintals of the produce. There are eight mandis in the Lohian block – Lohian Khas Grain Market, Janta Mandi, Gidderpindi, Kang Khurd, Kamalpur, Nahal, Turna and Mehrajwala.

Several farmers said they were sitting idle in the hope that the next crop would bring happier days for them.

It seems that in the coming days too, there would be less arrival of paddy in the Lohian mandis because the crop was devoured by floodwater. Scores of farmers are waiting for their fields to get dry as 500 acres are still submerged in the floodwater. The floods hit the area on July 10. Three months later, hundreds of acres of fields are still inundated.

Pritam Singh, a farmer, said his four acres of fields were still under water and he didn’t know how he would sow next crop. “It is a sad season for all of us. We were not amongst the lucky ones who could resow their paddy too,” he said.

Zero arrival at Nahal Mandi on Wednesday

Nahal Mandi in the Lohian block has received only 50 quintals of paddy till now. Zero arrival was recorded at the mandi today. Last year, over 6,000 quintals of paddy was purchased from this market. Even Gidderpindi Mandi has received only 1,063 quintals of the produce. There are eight mandis in the Lohian block – Lohian Khas Grain Market, Janta Mandi, Gidderpindi, Kang Khurd, Kamalpur, Nahal, Turna and Mehrajwala.