Farmers in trouble as 1K acres of fields along Sutlej submerged

For farmers in the state, weather is both a lifeline and looming threat. In one season, it’s the scorching heat that shrivels wheat grains, and in the other, it’s relentless rainfall that drowns their hopes. Though Ludhiana was saved from the flood fury, those staying around the Sutlej had to bear the brunt as flooding left 1,000 acres submerged in water. Paddy crops have been submerged under floodwaters, wiping out months of labour and investment.

In Maachiwara, farmer Harbhajan Singh stood ankle-deep in water, staring at his ruined field.

“We sow with hope but nature has its own plans. My entire paddy crop is gone. I don’t know how I’ll repay loan this year,” he said in despair.

The situation is equally grim in Sidhwan Bet where Gurpreet Kaur, a small-scale farmer, said: “We depend on this crop for our yearly income. The water came so fast, we couldn’t even save our tools. It’s not the crop but our livelihood.”

According to the Agriculture Department, nearly 1,000 acres of fields have been destroyed along the Sutlej, primarily in the blocks of Sidhwan Bet, Maachiwara and Mangat. Chief Agriculture Officer Gurdeep Singh confirmed that the damage was confined to fields located on the riverbed. “The rest of the district is safe. Affected areas are low-lying and within the river’s natural flood zone,” he stated.

Experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have issued urgent advisories to minimise further damages. They recommend draining excess water using surface drains or pumping sets to prevent root suffocation.

For rice and basmati growers, the PAU suggested a foliar spray of 3 per cent urea solution to counter nitrogen deficiency, and 1.5% potassium nitrate at the boot stage to reduce sterility. With the current weather favoring fungal infections, particularly false smut, farmers are urged to spray copper hydroxide (Kocide 46 DF) followed by Galileo Way fungicide after 10–15 days. Zinc deficiency should be treated with a 0.5% or 0.3% zinc sulphate spray, depending on the formulation.

While the district administration continues to assess the full extent of the damages, the immediate concern remains the survival of affected farmers.

“With their fields submerged and future uncertain, many are hoping for swift government intervention and compensation to rebuild their lives. Once the situation normalises, we have decided to visit the affected farmers and offer support in the form of labour, manure and procuring seeds for the next crop. Not only the crop but also seeds for the next crop prepared by farmers and stored in their houses had also been destroyed,” said Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal).