Paddy nursery, seeds for rain-hit farmers of Sangrur

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 1

As the chances of survival of crops submerged under rainwater in 43 villages are dim, the Sangrur Agriculture Department officials have started efforts to arrange paddy nursery and seeds to help farmers.

Though in some villages rainwater has started receding, the level in the Ghaggar is still at 746.7 feet. The authorities say complete draining out of rainwater from fields is not possible till water recedes in the Ghaggar.

“Officials are not reaching out to affected farmers and have not made any arrangements to drain out rainwater. Our crops are submerged for the past five days,” said Jasvir Singh, a farmer from Phullad village.

“We have started looking for paddy nursery and other seeds to help affected farmers. After 48 hours, the chances of survival of submerged crops are dim. We have approached some persons in Duggan and other villages to arrange paddy nursery for farmers,” said Jaswinder Singh Grewal, Chief Agriculture Officer of Sangrur.

Of the total 5,400 acres affected, around 4,000 are of paddy while remaining are of fodder, maize and cotton crops.

“Our paddy crop in 20 acres has been under water for the past seven days. The Punjab Government should help us,” said Shyam Singh, a farmer from Moonak.

Chetan Gupta, SDO, Drainage Department, said water level in the Ghaggar had started receding and had come down to 746.7 feet.

BKU (Ugrahan) leader Dharminder Pashore said they would start a protest from Monday for financial aid to the affected farmers.

Heavy damage in Mansa region

• The recent heavy rain in five villages in the Sardulgarh area of Mansa district has submerged cotton and paddy crops in around 1,000 acres.
• Some houses of the poor have also been damaged. Sardulgarh SDM visited these villages, held talks with the farmers and issued girdawari orders.
• DC Mohinderpal said: “Water level in Ghaggar is still under control, but we are keeping a close watch on it.” TNS